Catching up with a childhood friend and capturing giraffes

Last week, we had the pleasure of hosting Br. Jonathan Maury of the Society of Saint John the Evangelist. He spent a week on retreat with us. Our brothers go to each other's houses for retreat from time to time. We feel so aligned in our values that it feels like visiting good friends.

This weekend, we were delighted to host a gathering of Camaldolese Associates. Fr. Cyprian Consiglio, OSB cam and Sr. Donald Corcoran, OSB cam were leading them in reflection. The Order of the Holy Cross and the Camaldolese Order of Benedictines are in a covenant relationship of mutual prayer that goes back several decades. Our Brother Timothy Jolley currently lives as a hermit with the Brothers at New Camaldoli, Big Sur, CA, where Fr. Cyprian is Prior.

Flovers and Monastics. From left, clockwise: Br. Bob's orchids hospital near his cell (he adopts orchids that have stopped blooming, brings them back to flowering and distributes them in the house); Br. Jonathan Maury, SSJE; Fr. Cyprian Consiglio, OSB cam; Sr. Donald Corcoran, OSB cam.

The week had started with a visit of my childhood friend Sheila Cattell. Sheila and I met in High School and have been friends for over 44 years. She is Scottish and she helped teach me English as a teenager. She came with her eldest son Alec who now lives in New York.

It was one of those moments where you realize the scope of your own life. When I lived in Belgium, I babysat Alec and when I would speak in English to him, as instructed by his parents, he would rebelliously respond in French. His little sister and little brother emulated him in this, but my then-partner and I persisted in the language of Shakespeare.

As it was, during their two-day visit, the three of us switched between French and English without thinking about it. Alec, now 27, married his American wife last year and has worked as a journalist for the last few years in both the UK and the US.

It is always a special joy to welcome old friend or relatives to the monastery. We get to catch up and they get a glimpse of what my life as a monk is.

Sheila and Alec's visit. From top: Sheila inspecting the "Walloon Cemetery" in New Paltz (her husband is Walloon - a Southern Belgium French speaker) (Walloon Huguenots fled persecution and came to this country in the 17th century); a tender moment at a Poughkeepsie coffee shop on a long walk; group selfie on Huguenot Street in New Paltz with Br. Aidan in the bottom right corner; Sheila and I on the porch of the Guest House; Alec and Sheila discovering the joys of a traditional American Diner (Eveready Diner in Hyde Park, across the river from the monastery).

This Friday, Br. Aidan led the community in a Chapter Talk on obedience (one of the three prongs of the Benedictine Vow which I live by). It was a useful conversation. You can hear or read many of Aidan's thought on obedience in his recent sermon for Lent 2.

You may remember that over a week ago, our community had a conversation about the rightful place of entertainment in the leisure part of monastic life. I had shared with the community that I had recently had to block a time guzzler on my browser. I would think I'd clear my mind for a few minutes of mindless Bubble Shooter and next thing I knew I had spent a half hour bursting colored bubbles...

Well, I found a healthier alternative to an addictive online game. I help with a Citizen Science project in Kenya for a few minutes at a time. My volunteer job is to help sift through 3 million pictures taken by photo traps to capture images of wildlife. The objective is to better study giraffe populations which are increasingly endangered.

It is fun, non-addictive and useful to the greater good. Admittedly, there are a lot of un-interesting pictures when the camera went off for a passing insect of bird, a waving weed or an inquisitive human. But as you'll see below, a week and a half of helping have garnered me a few nice shots of Kenyan wildlife without swallowing my productive time whole. The Internet is a tool; it can add to our life or subtract from it.

Wildwatch Kenya and its alternative. From top left, clockwise: a group of giraffes (there's even one who accepted to look at the camera); a family of elephants passing by; the dreaded Bubble Shooter time-eater; a graceful impala.

I hope you find ways the Internet can add quality to your leisure time. Peace!