MetroMonk

I have a special place in my heart for the cigar community.   No matter where I go to light up a cigar I always meet such interesting people and hear incredible stories. The best conversations I have are always around a cigar. It doesn't matter what town I'm in, how I'm dressed or what my profession is. I always meet nice people and have significant conversations with other people around cigars. I could go on and on with one story after the next, but there's one story in particular that I want to share to illustrate why I feel how I do about the great community that is the Cigar Community. Recently I had to travel to Indianapolis for a wedding. Upon my arrival at the church I saw a man walking back into the church shed, he looked like he had just got done with mowing the grass, and he had a cigar in his mouth. I thought, "Perfect, maybe he can tell me where I can pick up some cigars for me and my buddies to smoke that night."  I followed him into the s...

Interruptions, Distractions, It's one of those days. When I don't get started ontime,      It throws me off, My head hurts,      My heart beats faster,      I feel tension growing within me. Anxiety mounting,       My breath is faster, more rapid, shorter. I feel that pain in my head again,       It's sharp, It's near the crown of my head, but      Not totally. Breathe,       Slow,         Calm,           Relax,             Sit,               Stop,                 Listen. Don't be thrown off. Return again to me, Inhale, Let it out. Loving God, we give you thanks for restoring us in your image and nourishing us with spiritual food in the sacrament of Christ's body and blood. Now send us forth a people,...

Don't Forget, Remember! 9/11 & the stories of our lives.  One of my favorite times the end of each and everyday is story time. "Daddy, books tonight?" "Of course" I reply. "How about 3 or 4 tonight?" my son usually asks back. "Nah, how about just two. Maybe an extra if you're lucky" I say. I don't know what it is, but he is always so lucky. There are so many stories; scary stories, sappy stories, superhero stories. There are stories about trucks, planes, animals, and even going potty for the first time. My children love stories. Often they imagine themselves in the stories and the story takes on a whole new life of its own. It's as if there is some automatic response that each kid does when hearing certain stories (at least with mine), they immerse themselves into it. Before my oldest was tolerant of sitting and having a book read to him, I would ask him what elements he would like me to plug into the story. He was alwa...