Here I am with my “gang,” my little brother Mike and our friends, “helping” a neighbor paint. The boys were the only kids my age on the block. We spent our days flying paper airplanes, playing in the park, picnicking, and watching “The Whistling Man” – our nickname for “The Andy Griffith Show.” I grew up in a great neighborhood. Everyone watched out for all the kids and we had the run of the place.
 
My sense of what constitutes the neighborhood has expanded a bit. Here I am with a new international “gang” of Dominicans in Iraq. Can you find me? (Third from left, back row). I still get that same silly grin when I’m happy. This was a great moment. We were celebrating Brother Hani Daniel’s ordination (he’s standing next to me). He was the first Dominican ever to be ordained in the Christian village of Karakosh in northern Iraq, though many of the Dominicans are from there. The photo was taken at the Friars’ convent in Mosul in January 2004, in the midst of the U.S. occupation of Iraq, making the joy we felt at being together bittersweet. 

In between...
I studied journalism in college and after working for about a year, found my way (with some help!) to the Dominicans. As a journalist, I understood the difference words could make. Now I get to spend my life witnessing to the presence of the Word Made Flesh in our world as a part of a wonderful community called the Order of Preachers. It doesn’t get much better than this.