What do you do on a holiday weekend in Albuquerque while preparing for an 11-day, 4-country tour of Central America with the Archbishop of Canterbury? Help a friend break a lot of concrete, dig trenches, and lay a foundation for a Casita (addition or mother-in-law quarters). We crammed in two days from 4 a.m. to 6 p.m. and had a lot of good food. Carne Adovada Burritos - ahh. (Diocese of Pennsylvania, it does not change. I work unceasingly all the time).
I have worked every labor job you can imagine - roofing, construction, tile, paving, landscaping, to name a few. I started working for a living when I was 7 or 8, and it continues. I am blessed that our Good Lord has given me excellent health (my doctor recently told me, "You make my job boring.") I can still put in 12-15 hours of ministry or manual labor and keep up with those much younger.
God also gave me a strong back, a never-quit-till-the-job-is-finished attitude, grit, determination, and the "you drop everything and always help someone out when they need it" spirit. Combine this with a deep knowing of who I am, familia, a grounding in my culture, and never forgetting where I come from and who helped me along the way. I consider myself blessed.
A working-class faith, church, strength, resilience, and approach to life. One of the best compliments I received was after a visitation in Delco; a man approached me and said, "You are our blue-collar bishop." I want to be remembered as such (and that I loved them).
When someone asks what I do, I tell them I am in the service industry and spend a lot of time working in the fields. My boss is also an excellent carpenter, and I am an apprentice. Que viva la vida.
As for the pictures, my favorite artists are the Great Three Mexican Muralists: José Clemente Orozco, Diego Rivera, and David Alfaro Siqueiros. The always speak of the context; people, condition and the resilience. The images are all Rivera, but of the three, I tend to lean toward Siqueiros. I have included a picture at the end called "Caminantes." On the Camino, it is all about the journey.
When I return from Central America, I will let you know what Jude is dragging me into (involves running in combat boots)
Lola update
Oakley thinks, "Calgon, take me away" from Lola.
David Alfaro Siqueiros "Caminantes"
