Fried chicken and Sibelius

The shouting is over. All the seminarians have left the premises except for three - two who will work this week facilitating some maintenance issues in the building. The third seminarian is deprived of his long drive into Kentucky today because an informational readout on I-65 this morning indicated very long delays over the bridge into Louisville. He may stay another night. Even if it's only for a few hours or a day, it's nice not to have to be on a deadline.

Graduation was graduation. Our reception for the four grads we gave to the world went smoothly, the food went fast (the rector stole away into the night with a leftover box of chocolate éclairs) and families dispersed to their own celebrations. A couple other Marian grads stopped by to bid adieu. I was not around to see them as I left for another dinner, a bigger one, this at Hollyhock Hill Restaurant (known for its fried chicken family-style dinners), invited by a couple I know who live in Chicago. Trish’s mother died a month ago at age 102. Saturday was the memorial service but I could not take part because of graduation. However, they insisted I join them for the dinner. Trish, Mike, and myself graduated from Marian University in the early 1960s. I reconnected with them in the late 1990s when I was stationed in Chicago.

The dinner was filling, the chatter was lively, the personalities all fascinating. Trish’s brother is a former local TV news anchor. Mike and Trish’s only son is a very successful advertising man and proves they aren’t all caught up in “Mad Men” mode. He is now doing work for Disney. Mike and Trish’s two daughters both have their own families and their accomplishments are too lengthy to list. They have always made me feel welcome at family birthday and holiday gatherings.

I got back to the seminary to rest up before attending a concert at the Indianapolis Symphony. It’s the final ticket I had this season. Attending the symphony is one of the really great pleasures of my life. This program included one of my very favorite pieces – the Fifth Symphony of Jean Sibelius. Some works move me so much that I want nothing more than to bask in their afterglow. This was one of them. The orchestra was rich and complex, full and alive. A cousin of mine who studied music once described Sibelius’ music as “like granite.” I will now have to wait until the fall season to enjoy further delights.