So I'm in Oakland, California visiting my younger brother (he's the middle of three boys), who just happens to be a Catholic brother in the Order of St. Dominic. I arrived yesterday from Kansas City as I won tickets on Midwest Airlines earlier this year and I had to use them before year's end.
It's always interesting to tell people I have a brother who is a brother. The reactions vary widely from 'that's the dumbest thing I've ever heard' to 'wow, that's pretty cool.' As the sole remaining Protestant member of my family I've always thought my brother's decision to join monastic life was an interesting choice, but it's a good life he had here at the priory. It's a wonderful situation to be in when your food, shelter, and clothing are essentially taken care of, and you can focus on more important things like ministering to others and performing acts of social justice.
The priory has a limited number of guest rooms, and because it's more fiscally responsible, my brother arranged for me to stay here at the priory with him. It has been an interesting glimpse into the lives of the community here. Even though I have no desire to be Catholic, I went to mass this morning. We had a community brunch immediately afterwards. I have been able to meet many of his friends and classmates, as my brother will not take final vows until next June. In late afternoon we went to evening prayer, followed by a recreation time (social time), and then dinner at 6:15.
The community is made up of a wide variety of people, just like everyday society. The men here are no better than the average person, they are just following a different path from most of us. There are grumpy people here; there are practical jokers. Some like to get up early; some are night owls. It's interesting to realize these are just guys that feel God has called them to do something different. Most I have encountered have a load of good stories and have a great sense of humor.
The weather here in Oakland has been wonderful. Every time I am out here on the west coast I am reminded of how much I enjoy it. I don't know if I would ever live out here, but visiting is a blast. When I got here yesterday afternoon we went up to the University of California campus and walked around. We also went up to Tilden Park and drove around the East Hills. There are wonderful views of the Golden Gate Bridge from that area, and even though everything was backlit in the afternoon it was dramatic to see the city.
Lots of people thought I was coming out to Oakland this weekend because the Kansas City Chiefs were playing the Oakland Raiders here. It just worked out in my brother's schedule, but it was a cool coincidence. So the two of us and a couple of other brothers went to a local bar to watch the game, George & Walt's on College. It was a wonderful neighborhood bar. We grabbed stools near the bar, ordered a pitcher or three and had fun watching the game. Even though I was the only Chiefs fan in the bar, I didn't get too much crap from the other customers. Some were even nice, something I didn't expect from the average Raiders fan. G&W had free hot dogs and nachos too, which was a nice touch. The Chiefs won the game 12-10.
Tomorrow I think we're heading up the coast towards Point Reyes and Bodega Bay. I guess we'll see what that turns out to be like. The weather is supposed to be good, so I expect another fun day here in California!!
