Sequel

In a sequel to this Mrch's reunion, the Band of Brothers got back together last night for a quiet meal and a chin-wag. For those not familiar with the background, the Gorse Fox (and the Band of Brothers) spent a number of their formative years in a monastic setting. After 40+ years a number of us got together in March and enjoyed it so much that we decided to have a re-run. That was last night.

There were a number of memorable quotes that stood out from the discussions:

"Wasn't so-and-so gay?" - "Oh, no; he ran off with a bald nun"

"You remember Grace Ellen? The night before my vows she came knocking and asking to lie naked with me in the back of a Cadillac hearse. I declined, so she gave me a signed copy of Albert Camus' The Fall"

"You remember so-and-so. He was a rabid Fenian at school, end up on Diplomatic Protection for the Royal Family - You couldn't make it up!"

There tales of grave digging (where the next door grave collapsed in); of penance for not eating pizza crusts; of people seeing rice as a main dish for the first time and scraping onto a side plate to add milk and sugar; of freezing New England winters and baking summers.

What came across most from the evening, however, was not just the humour and camaraderie we still had - but also the inner peace that shone from each of use, despite our wide and varied experiences and careers.