Seeing this headline during the pope’s visit took me back to a period in my life that I had sort of blocked out of the old memory motel.
My cousin Father John first introduced me to Thomas Merton and his works when life was coming at me hard and fast and I felt like I was going down for the third time – literally! John gave me his copy of Seven Story Mountain and suggested that I read it.
Thus, I began what I call my “Merton Phase,” one where all I wanted to do was be alone, sit on my beach and contemplate how screwed up my life had become. Even though Merton’s overall message was one of self awareness and hope, at that time in my life I felt that those things were unattainable. Merton talked of a contemplative life, one where you learn by looking inward, where you grow by realizing who and what you are. However, I did not have the time to pursue such matters. In a Maslow’s hierarchy kind of thing I was doing survival stuff and all of Merton’s altruistic stuff was way beyond me. Or so I thought.
Trying to incorporate Merton’s approach to life, each morning before sunup I would sit on the beach for an hour or two and gaze at the lights on St. George’s Island and across the river in Virginia. I would count the cars as early risers made their way off the island to begin their days. I would sit and stare and just sort of pass the time before it got light and I had to start my day as screwed up as it was at the time. I was not a happy camper by any means, but those couple of hours on the beach each morning helped me to relax, to focus and to take it one day at a time. (I would do the AA Meetings in the evening, which led me to a theory: Merton too went to AA Meetings once he stopped drinking but after a couple of those sessions and hearing all that pathos and drama from ex-drunks, he said to hell with this and went off to live in the woods and get away from it all. I didn’t have that option.)
Like water dripping on a stone, Merton’s ideas began to make inroads into my way of dealing. It’s tough to describe but in some way I was able to get outside feeling sorry for myself and ultimately rise above my problems. The issues did not go away but I found that they did not weigh me down as much as they once did. I am forever grateful that John sent Merton my way as it just may have saved my life.
That Merton was or is considered controversial (click here) is a bit ironic given that he was a rather unassuming and low keyed individual. Check out this Facebook page (click here) of his quotes and then this video about him:
You should know the Elvis version of this Nick Lowe song but I also like how Bill Murray nailed it Karaoke-style in Lost in Translation:
