You Can Call Me Al

This year we are wearing Royal Blue t-shirts with the long awaited 13iloxi logo with the split B. But on the back are the words that talk about Poverty being the cloak that covers the greatness of the human spirit. We wonder how many different people in our world could contribute so much more with the right opportunity. This morning I learned the cloak can also cover me seeing the world in the best way I should. Rushing to St. Gabe's this morning for our send off prayer service, it is a tradition I stop at Do-nut Drive-in for our Biloxi alumni who rise early on a Saturday to wish us well. As I ran through the rain with a delicious dozen, a man approached me and asked for a ride to Jamieson for $5. "Nooooooooooo dude, I am in a hurry, I am taking students on a trip, I don't have time....my voice continued with excuses as I closed the car door and left him in the rain. I sat in the seat and looked at him...just that quickly the cloak was removed. Honked the horn. C'mon brother. He stood in the rain as I fumbled to unlock his door on the rental. He said thanks and set a wet $5 bill on the console between us. I told him that this ride was free. I told him I was taking students to Biloxi to help people down there and this was a good way for this trip to start. I told him my name was John and he told me his name was Al. He had done the high iron work on the high floors of the Beau Rivage in Biloxi. We drove by Ted Drewe's and he told me he had been hit by a car recently while walking and he was still recovering from surgery. And then our short ride was over. As I told this story to our 2013 group and family. My mother exclaimed, "You didn't pick up a hitchhiker!!!". I talked to her later and she told me she thinks I picked up an Angel. So Diablo, Jump Around, Baba Laxxy, Ed Poth, and Tim Milford...I hope you enjoyed your doughnuts they were delivered to St. Gabriel's by an AngeL. ...maybe that is what Angels do...they remove the cloak...and let us see