How do you feel? I don't just feel confused. I think I am confused. Plus, I think it's my own fault. I talk too much.
I read once a description of a bloke. A critic of his, friendly critic (the best kind of critic) said of that other bloke 'He hasn't got one unpublished thought!'
Since about '02 I've copped a lot of flak, mainly from 'friendlies'. I'd come to the conclusion over many years that the best way to get through life was to be Catholic ie. open to all.
Let everyone know what you're on about. Don't have angles, don't have spin, just 'what you see is what you get'.
If they see what you're on about, some will offer to help. So I've ended up with no unpublished thought. Maybe I'm not good at explaining what I'm on about.
I talk in my own parish church. I'm supposed to do that. It's my duty. Every day there's a dozen people mostly the same ones. That's every day for 34 years!
On Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays there's at least 100 at every wedding. We have about 60 weddings a year. I talk there, too.
On Sundays, we have a couple of baptisms/christenings. There's a bunch of people ~ each event, sometimes 100. I talk there too.
Then there's the 200 at weekend Masses. They're the catholic critical mass, the general membership. The ones who give character and colour to South Melbourne Catholicism, God bless them. More talk from me, this time, unashamedly, about the glory of God and the salvation of souls, the 'in house' core business. Jesus of Nazareth gets a big run 'in house', as you would expect, if not accept.
Then there's the not infrequent funeral during the week. Another 100 people, mostly not churchgoers, but spiritually on standby, and some, not so much talk from me.
I may well, dear readers, have talked myself to a standstill.
But, then I saddle up weekly to appear with John Safran, Jewish, intellectual, satirist, humorist, on Triple J radio. More talk, this time to persons unknown except the 20 somethings who write to the station's guestbook from all over the world.
I've also got a blog page, fatherbob.com.au, where these ramblings end up (as well as in the parish newsletter). The blog links to a podcast, courtesy of podcast network wunderkind Cameron Reilly and indefatigable tekkie, Michaela Walsh, whose father, Michael, died this week after a long illness. Sorry for your loss Michaela.
6000 people listen to the podcast. My critics, 'friendlies', say I'm showing off, a narcissist. I think I'm just 'putting in'. I'm confused, you see. Maybe I should stop talking to people and talk to God! That's where I'm confused. I thought that by talking to people I'm talking to God who loves, even likes, us. I believe there's no longer us, them God -just WE.
So, while I'm working it all out, more or less, I'll turn up at Triple J and this weekends 2 weddings, 3 baptisms, I internment of ashes, 3 weekend Masses and talk some more.
Shaun Micallef, host of SBS 'Newstopia' is our first guest on Triple J. Then, Mary Zournai, writer, philosopher and our intrepid film reviewer talks us through 'A Mighty Heart', a detailed account of the 2002 search for kidnapped Wall St Journal reporter, Daniel Pearl.
Next is Christian Kerr, author of 'The Crikey Guide to the 2007 Federal Election'.
Finally, Gary Lucas, internationally acclaimed New York guitarist and Grammy nominated songwriter. He'll talk about 'The Golem': at the festival of Jewish Cinema, 7-25 November, ACMI Cinemas, Melbourne.