June 4: Bow of the Skiff, Do Our Best, "The Breakfast Club"

Santiago drinks his coffee . . .

The old man drank his coffee slowly. It was all he would have all day and he knew that he should take it. For a long time now eating had bored him and he never carried a lunch. He had a bottle of water in the bow of the skiff and that was all he needed for the day.

The boy was back now with the sardines and the two baits wrapped in a newspaper and they went down the trail to the skiff, feeling the pebbled sand under their feet, and lifted the skiff and slid her into the water.

I identify with Santiago here.  He loves his work.  And the boy.  Even after three months without catching a fish, the old man gets up every morning, drinks his coffee, and gets in his boat.  

Today, I went to work.  Then I put together music for church this evening.  After that, I drove to church and rehearsed.  These are things I do almost every Saturday.  Then, I played the pipe organ for the 4 p.m. Mass, picked up a pizza, and went home to watch a movie with my son and my wife.

That's what everyone does, I suppose.  We get out of bed every morning and go through our days, trying to do our best to make the world a tiny bit better.  Or a tiny bit worse, depending on outcomes.  And then we go to bed, get up in the morning, and go through it all over again.

This evening, I watched The Breakfast Club with my son.  He had never seen it before.  At first, he was bored, skeptical.  Then, he got it.  A group of kids in Saturday detention, trying to overcome their pre-ordained roles.  Jock.  Prom queen.  Brain.  Space case.  Criminal.  After the movie was over, while the credits were rolling, I looked at him and said, "Did you like it?"  He nodded at me.  "All the kids in the movie," I said, "are way more than how people see them."  He nodded again, slowly.  "Alright," I said.  "Thanks for watching it with me.  It's one of my favorites."

I think my son is getting tired of these Yoda wisdom lessons from me.  I don't care.  It's my job.  I'm a Jedi father, trying to turn my son into the best Jedi knight he can be.  Trying to keep him away from the Dark Side.

Help him, Saint Marty can.