Jeff tagged me for this meme, which can only be fun. Here are my five things:
1. I used to pray with the Quakers. In my spiritual seeking period, before I admitted to myself that I was supposed to become a Roman Catholic, I enjoyed their quiet, "unprogrammed" style of Sunday worship, and have gravitated toward the silent and apophatic ever since.
2. This is my second time in religious life. Right after college I joined the Franciscans of the Leonine Union (the OFM), but left after a year and a half. I was back in the world for four or five years and then joined the Capuchins (OFM Cap.)
3. Without prejudice to genes, parental example, and a very good primary education, I credit Dungeons & Dragons with some of my scholarly ability. Maybe school wasn't always a challenge, but it sure was trying to find your way around the maze of rules and guidelines that made up the 1977-1980 Player's Handbook and Dungeon Master's Guide. Not to mention that it built a lot of vocabulary (one never had to say "dweomer," "philter," or "somatic component" in ordinary conversation) and demanded fine abstract distinctions, like articulating the difference between the "beatific" chaotic-good alignment as opposed to the "saintly" lawful-good, "demonic" chaotic-evil and "diabolic" lawful-evil ones.
4. I can make very good lentil soup. It once garnered me a marriage proposal. No kidding.
5. The first time I visited Assisi I was defecated upon by a bird and bit by a dog in the same day. And I wanted to be a Franciscan anyway.
6 comments:
Good ol' Gary Gygax definitely wasn't into simplicity...but I guess that why we loved the game. As for alignments, I tended to favor neutral good: basically a beneficial type, but also a free-floater.
NG was a fine alignment. I knew I had played too much D&D when I found myself sitting in class with a friend in high school debating the alignments of historical figures.
I think the events of point number 5 were a sign...
Thanks for your confidence!
I'm just glad you paid heed!!
Hi Friar,
Interesting list. You once had a marriage proposal over your lentil soup? Now that's what I call a real man! I'm impressed. I hope that your Capuchin brothers appreciate your talents in that area. I'm sure it was a loss to the Leonines.
The first time I visited Assisi I was defecated upon by a bird and bit by a dog in the same day. And I wanted to be a Franciscan anyway.
Ha! Surely that was a sign from above. Don't ever let anyone say that the Lord and St Francis don't have a sense of humor. Perhaps it was a test of your humility and asceticism. Anne and I were caught outside in a thunderstorm when we were in Assisi. I wonder what that could have meant?
Post a Comment