HELLO from Devens, MA – the weather is absolutely gorgeous, I am so grateful to be at my first overnight at Clergy Conference, and I have A LOT to say about the extraordinary sessions that are being led by the founder of Thistle Farms.
I arrived yesterday as Bishop Whitworth was talking about her experience in the Diocese thus far and it sounds as though she is settling in nicely AND is challenged with balancing her family life – which continues to be spread between Indianapolis and Boston – and the myriad demands on her time as our new Bishop. The mood at the conference has been full of gratitude and some humor –which is a delightful surprise.
This morning, I treated myself to a crack-of-dawn outing to explore the area and clear my head in advance of a full day and packed Clergy Conference Agenda...two things to note. First: a photo of our street sign and Second: This morning as I was walking, I heard reveille! Now, I’m guessing that not many people at this conference are brought to a memory of a previous job or incarnation, but I was immediately pulled back to my first job out of college. I was a contractor for the US Army, working at the Arsenal in Watertown! (Or more accurately, the CTX for CPC @MTL w/in AMC – or for laypeople who don’t adore acronyms: I worked at the Center of Excellence for Corrosion Prevention and Control at the Materials Technology Laboratory within the Army’s Materiel Command, which as you know, is the division of the US Army responsible for making sure that Army equipment is ready and military action is sustainable, when needed).
The shorthand for my first job is that I was a Rust-Buster for the US Army. Some GREAT stories abound from this work experience, but this morning’s flashback was to my morning routine on the base in Watertown. I would call friends at 6 am who were usually getting ready for their work day, and I would open my office window and throw the phone receiver out so that they too could enjoy reveille! I thought it was hilarious – NEVER in a disrespectful way, but in a “What have I gotten myself into?!?” way! (After the recording was finished, I’d reel the phone back in – OH the days of corded phones and – and laugh and wish my phone buddy a very good day, and hang up!)
The beauty of the colors here and Spring in evidence is a great buffer for this day. I hope that each of you finds surprising signs of new life and resurrection. Amy+
I arrived yesterday as Bishop Whitworth was talking about her experience in the Diocese thus far and it sounds as though she is settling in nicely AND is challenged with balancing her family life – which continues to be spread between Indianapolis and Boston – and the myriad demands on her time as our new Bishop. The mood at the conference has been full of gratitude and some humor –which is a delightful surprise.
This morning, I treated myself to a crack-of-dawn outing to explore the area and clear my head in advance of a full day and packed Clergy Conference Agenda...two things to note. First: a photo of our street sign and Second: This morning as I was walking, I heard reveille! Now, I’m guessing that not many people at this conference are brought to a memory of a previous job or incarnation, but I was immediately pulled back to my first job out of college. I was a contractor for the US Army, working at the Arsenal in Watertown! (Or more accurately, the CTX for CPC @MTL w/in AMC – or for laypeople who don’t adore acronyms: I worked at the Center of Excellence for Corrosion Prevention and Control at the Materials Technology Laboratory within the Army’s Materiel Command, which as you know, is the division of the US Army responsible for making sure that Army equipment is ready and military action is sustainable, when needed).
The shorthand for my first job is that I was a Rust-Buster for the US Army. Some GREAT stories abound from this work experience, but this morning’s flashback was to my morning routine on the base in Watertown. I would call friends at 6 am who were usually getting ready for their work day, and I would open my office window and throw the phone receiver out so that they too could enjoy reveille! I thought it was hilarious – NEVER in a disrespectful way, but in a “What have I gotten myself into?!?” way! (After the recording was finished, I’d reel the phone back in – OH the days of corded phones and – and laugh and wish my phone buddy a very good day, and hang up!)
The beauty of the colors here and Spring in evidence is a great buffer for this day. I hope that each of you finds surprising signs of new life and resurrection. Amy+
RSS Feed