I was hoping I might run into you here eventually.
If, like me, you graduated from Williams many moons ago, then you’ll nod in familiarity when I say that I little guessed, on my bittersweet graduation day, how keenly I would yearn for the days when dear friends were always just a five minute walk away for a shared meal, a helpful review of a tricky essay, or a much-needed coffee break. I would have been bewildered – and distressed – by the idea that a seemingly unbroken conversation forged of chance encounters on a sidewalk, electronic messages of all kinds, synchronized snack bar runs, and even the occasional old-fashioned phone call would devolve, out in the “real” world, into scheduled catch-up phone calls; then periodic emails; then sporadic ones. Whole years, passing by unbidden.
And so I was particularly charmed, one day two years ago, to hear from a classmate who had entered the religious life. (No sporadic catch-up emails here – only letters!) He explained that he had a new project in mind – and that he was volunteering me to help. Some things really don’t change that much, after all. He had had the extraordinary blessing of being able to teach a Winter Study class, and meet some of the current crop of Catholic Ephs; and he thought that the soon-to-graduate might benefit from hearing from Catholic alumni about their paths (so far!) to discerning where God is calling them. He had even found a volunteer among the Winter Study crop, who could help us offer something relevant to what current students might be looking for.
I was skeptical, of course (I haven’t changed that much myself). Why would the undergraduates want to hear from us? But the suggestion gave me a very welcome excuse to reach out to some fellow alumni (who actually use email), and they thought the idea had potential. I assumed by this they meant to volunteer to contribute essays, so we were off to a roaring start.
Of course, our efficiency is never what we imagine it will be; slowly but surely, however, we’ve made our way here. We won’t know this side of heaven what fruit this (or any) of our efforts will bear. Already, however, I’ve had the privilege of learning more about the beautiful stories unfolding in the lives of people I’ve dearly missed – and in the lives of some I’m only now, through this effort, getting to know, including one particularly delightful member of the class of ’17.
I hope that this will be only the beginning of many years of conversation about where our lives will lead, and be led; and I hope that this tiny corner of the internet will provide us an opportunity to discuss our adventures in discernment with current students, and the ever-growing crop of new alumni.
Godspeed.
-AMD ’03
Quo Vadimus? 