The way of imagination

What are you doing here?   Every summer from 2012 – 2016, I worked as a civilian chaplain at cadet summer camps in Valcartier, north of Quebec City.  An important place for the officers in charge of the cadets is the Mess Hall , a lounge with comfortable chairs, air conditioning, different games like pool and Ping-Pong, and perhaps most importantly, a bar .  Access to this privileged place is jealously guarded.  Only officers of the Canadian Forces, as well as civilian cadet instructors who have a contract with the military, are allowed to enter this shrine of relaxation .  A few years ago, during the first week of camp, I was sitting in a corner of the Mess Hall, in my civilian clothes , with my laptop open, enjoying the free Wi-Fi access.  All of a sudden, a uniformed officer approached me and asked me rather abruptly what I was doing there .  Not immediately picking up on the meaning of his question, I replied that I was sending e-mails ....

“You old wart hog”.  The 20 th -century Catholic novelist Flannery O’Connor spent her (brief) life in the Southern United States and is well known for her short stories; in the one entitled “Revelation”, O’Connor tells us of a certain Mrs. Turpin, who accompanies her husband to the doctor’s office.  The first scene of the story unfolds in the waiting room.  Upon arriving in the inadequate and cramped space, Mrs. Turpin sizes up each of the people who are sitting there – and then proceeds to ruthlessly judge them according to how they are sitting, on why they are not giving up their seats to her, on how they are dressed, etc.  At the same time that this judgmental inner dialogue is occurring, Mrs. Turpin maintains a steady stream of conversation with the other patients – at least, with those she considers to be worthy of being addressed by her.  Mrs. Turpin is an extremely self-satisfied, self-focused and smug individual.  Inwardly, she thanks God that ...