Seems like much more than a year. Perhaps because I have read, posted, and commented much more than I did on the old Commonweal blog.
Granted we have lost much of the interaction with Commonweal contributors that we once had, this blog has developed the talents of the commenters to a greater degree than the old blog had. There I always thought that I was a frustrated poster confined to the comments section.
This blog appears to be more of a community than the old blog at least for me since I comment here more often that I did under the old blog.
Thanks to David for setting up the forum so quickly; I had though it would take months. Thanks very much for all the regular posters who keep it going.
I continue with my project of developing a Cleveland Local Commonweal Community. We meet monthly at my favorite parish on the border between Lake County and Cleveland. It started out with about fifteen members and has been growing slowly but steady with about one or two members each month. Unfortunately because of the distances to travel and schedule conflicts we get only about half the members to a meeting. But the quality of the participants and the discussion has been great. Eventually (3-5 years) I hope we will get to the numbers, and multiple site locations that will make our own Cleveland blog feasible.
Severe hearing loss is very isolating. I am a "head" person and had imagined that my retirement would be busy with taking classes, attending talks, volunteering with one of the refugee groups in DC.
DC is a great place for opportunities for all of these things - universities with interesting classes, and multiple organizational sponsors of very interesting speakers. But I can't take advantage of many of them anymore, including I would assume, Commonweal Conversation groups, because hearing assistant devices are not available in most of them. The best I can do is ask for an upfront seat, and generally that works, unless the acoustics are awful. But I don't sign up for classes at any of the local universities any more. The only volunteer jobs I can do are those that are also pretty much in isolation, since I can't easily converse in busy rooms, with background noise, and especially with those who speak with accents, letting out some of the refugee assistance volunteer jobs.
This site lets me take part on interesting discussions with an interesting group of people of different backgrounds, views and insights.
"Severe hearing loss is very isolating..." Yes. I spent the weekend at my dad's place. He has a very severe hearing loss, even with hearing aids. It is so frustrating for him, and for family members.
Catholic Christendom is a vast assemblage of human beings with willful intellects and wild passions, brought together into one by the beauty and the majesty of a superhuman power, into what may be called a large reformatory or training school, not as if into a hospital or into a prison, not in order to be sent to bed, not to be buried alive, but (if I may change my metaphor) brought together as if into some moral factory, for the melting, refining, and molding by an incessant, noisy process, of the raw material of human nature, so excellent, so dangerous, so capable of divine purposes.
Just as most of us did not choose to believe in God after an honest look at the alternative but rather just "stuck with Him", most of us stayed with the Catholic Church simply because it was our "tribe", our "family", and its customs became as much a part of who we are as our ethnicity or our allergies.
Wm. J. O'Malley, SJ, Parents are Apostles "America", 1-20-90.
No, I didn't choose to believe in God, though I did choose the Church. I was happier before I got freighted down with it all. But you can't unbelieve it.
It's like loving someone who doesn't care. C.S. Lewis, whom I don't really cotton to, did talk plainly about the burdens and pain we take up when we believe. Things aren't the same when that happens. Or, well, they're the same, but you feel worse about them.
Funny, I have seen people transformed and lightened by faith. For some of us, it just makes the load heavier.
Thanks. I don’t comment often but I visit everyday. Growing up RC means a way of viewing the world is etched in your soul. You can’t undo it and I’m glad for that.
Happy birthday, folks. Sorry I missed the first eight months or so. I sort of spaced this out for a while.
ReplyDeleteThanks for setting up the forum, David.
ReplyDeleteSeems like much more than a year. Perhaps because I have read, posted, and commented much more than I did on the old Commonweal blog.
ReplyDeleteGranted we have lost much of the interaction with Commonweal contributors that we once had, this blog has developed the talents of the commenters to a greater degree than the old blog had. There I always thought that I was a frustrated poster confined to the comments section.
This blog appears to be more of a community than the old blog at least for me since I comment here more often that I did under the old blog.
Thanks to David for setting up the forum so quickly; I had though it would take months. Thanks very much for all the regular posters who keep it going.
I continue with my project of developing a Cleveland Local Commonweal Community. We meet monthly at my favorite parish on the border between Lake County and Cleveland. It started out with about fifteen members and has been growing slowly but steady with about one or two members each month. Unfortunately because of the distances to travel and schedule conflicts we get only about half the members to a meeting. But the quality of the participants and the discussion has been great. Eventually (3-5 years) I hope we will get to the numbers, and multiple site locations that will make our own Cleveland blog feasible.
Thank you, David. It's worth it.
ReplyDeleteYes. Thanks, David. My most visited website.
ReplyDeleteSevere hearing loss is very isolating. I am a "head" person and had imagined that my retirement would be busy with taking classes, attending talks, volunteering with one of the refugee groups in DC.
ReplyDeleteDC is a great place for opportunities for all of these things - universities with interesting classes, and multiple organizational sponsors of very interesting speakers. But I can't take advantage of many of them anymore, including I would assume, Commonweal Conversation groups, because hearing assistant devices are not available in most of them. The best I can do is ask for an upfront seat, and generally that works, unless the acoustics are awful. But I don't sign up for classes at any of the local universities any more. The only volunteer jobs I can do are those that are also pretty much in isolation, since I can't easily converse in busy rooms, with background noise, and especially with those who speak with accents, letting out some of the refugee assistance volunteer jobs.
This site lets me take part on interesting discussions with an interesting group of people of different backgrounds, views and insights.
So, thanks for this site, David.
"Severe hearing loss is very isolating..." Yes. I spent the weekend at my dad's place. He has a very severe hearing loss, even with hearing aids. It is so frustrating for him, and for family members.
DeleteThank you David...A meritorious act!
ReplyDeleteThis site is a good example of this:
ReplyDeleteCatholic Christendom is a vast assemblage of human beings with willful intellects and wild passions, brought together into one by the beauty and the majesty of a superhuman power, into what may be called a large reformatory or training school, not as if into a hospital or into a prison, not in order to be sent to bed, not to be buried alive, but (if I may change my metaphor) brought together as if into some moral factory, for the melting, refining, and molding by an incessant, noisy process, of the raw material of human nature, so excellent, so dangerous, so capable of divine purposes.
J. H. Newman, Apologia Pro Vita Sua.
My mother always said I would end up in a reformatory.
DeleteAnd this (now I'll stop) ....
DeleteJust as most of us did not choose to believe in God after an honest look at the alternative but rather just "stuck with Him", most of us stayed with the Catholic Church simply because it was our "tribe", our "family", and its customs became as much a part of who we are as our ethnicity or our allergies.
Wm. J. O'Malley, SJ, Parents are Apostles "America", 1-20-90.
No, I didn't choose to believe in God, though I did choose the Church. I was happier before I got freighted down with it all. But you can't unbelieve it.
DeleteIt's like loving someone who doesn't care. C.S. Lewis, whom I don't really cotton to, did talk plainly about the burdens and pain we take up when we believe. Things aren't the same when that happens. Or, well, they're the same, but you feel worse about them.
Funny, I have seen people transformed and lightened by faith. For some of us, it just makes the load heavier.
Thank you David !
ReplyDeleteThanks. I don’t comment often but I visit everyday. Growing up RC means a way of viewing the world is etched in your soul. You can’t undo it and I’m glad for that.
ReplyDeleteDavid,
ReplyDeleteThanks very much for setting this up. I'd say it's been getting better and better.
Doesn't seem like a year has passed already! Thanks for setting the site up, David.
ReplyDelete