A shout out for my son

Here is Caleb at his school concert tonight. Unlike the high school music concerts I sang in, where the edgiest thing we ever did was a Charles Ives arrangement of "Circus Band," he is singing an original composition called "The Adventure" with his band Sidewalk. You really just have to experience Caleb's music to really "get it"---he is extremely intense, he sings from his gut, the music is obviously written by somebody who has worked with a fine musician for five years (Bill Larsen) who has given him the freedom and courage to find his own music. The quality of the Advanced Music class's arrangements were something else tonight.

Of course, he goes to Kansas City Academy, which is a 6th-12th grade school in the Loretto tradition. When Cana, in 8th grade, visited the school for the first time she said, "Mom, it's SO Bohemian!" which should have told us right them it was the school for us. The kids call their teachers by their first names; the school is VERY strong in fine arts, theater and music, and the theme continues to be "responsible freedom," and from this theme arises the issues you might imagine 12-18 year olds might have when presented in a school setting with the word "freedom." There were 13 in Cana's graduating class, which was great for Cana and her learning style. I really think Caleb would prefer a larger pond, and one inhabited by curvaceous girl fish....but he loves music, he is growing aesthetically, he is reading "Zen and the Art of Motorcycle Maintenance" as well as his Nietzsche, is writing pretty interesting poetry and is looking for work. I guess things could be a lot worse.

Cana is off on the School of the Americas Protest Trip with the above mentioned KCA in the morning; they are letting her attend as an alumni. She was instumental in starting the Amnesty International chapter at said KCA two years ago.

PS Dear North district pastors and churches: You KNOW I love you, but I must say I am looking forward to December 10, which is not only my birthday, but also the day after my last charge conferences of the year. How can it be that I can love something so much as I do, going into the churches in the district, meeting great lay folks, hearing about really neat ministries, and get so very tired at the same time??? Ah, another paradox in the United Methodist Church. By the way, if you have not yet read "Methodism: Empire of the Spirit" by David Hempton, do.

Only two more days until the "District Conference Celebration" at North Spring at 3. Be there or be square!