Permanently tethered to the ether Coming together because we share that connection I know your core, your essence And you know mine I sense your pain, your hurt from a thousand miles away It cuts like a knife and I feel it deep within my soul
You used to say we were the purest form of soul mates That truism has played out over and over The connection remains unbroken, despite our best efforts To move on- to carve another life absent of yesterday
Words tie us together sending us on clouds of literary volleyball Trading the world’s greatest authors with pieces of our own Examining life from the opposite ends of a kaleidoscope Your end looks out through the eye piece and sees reality: Harsh, dark, the hardness of struggle and living life merely to exist My end focuses on the sliding colors and shapes Seeing endless possibilities in a world filled with brightly colored hope
Is this the dichotomy that brought us together and keeps us connected? Your existence in a world of darkness and self-mutilation Despite having a brilliant mind That just couldn’t cope with the ordinary surrounding your world My existence in a world full of promise and peace Because I have a brilliant mind
It’s obvious that you can’t let me go It’s obvious that I can’t let you go either
But you are sinking once again, deeper than any time before I saved you once and almost lost my soul Your soul is crying out again I feel it I hear it God, I don’t know what to do…….
You fascinate me - There I’ve said it A passing name in the night, I gave you no heed Persistently you worked your charm So I gave you more than the cursory conversation Went beyond the pleasantries of words between strangers And moved into deeper territory Unpeeling layers of the authentic me How I think What I do How I feel about life I’ve always loved a great conversationalist And you fit that tag with more than a modicum of wit And intelligence So easy to be authentic, but anonymous while on-line Unless of course you are dealing with me:The Queen of Investigation Because I now know exactly who you are Where you work Who your friends are What people are saying about you Because I’m good like that And the knowledge that I’ve gleaned just fascinates me even more The real question is……What am I going to do with it?
Social Media is changing how the world communicates. The ability to quickly spread news across various social media vehicles certainly is a benefit from bygone days with much slower communication methods.Take a look at how fast news of the election protests in Iran and the earthquake in Haiti spread on Twitter in the past year.Images and video were captured and launched around the world to thousands within minutes, long before traditional media was broadcasting on the ground.
When sad news hits close to home, it becomes even more evident how useful social media applications can become in spreading important messages quickly.On the evening of Friday, April 2nd, well-known St. Xavier High School Senior football star and USA Today First Team All-American, Matt James, died after falling off a balcony at his hotel while on Spring Break in Panama City, Florida. The news spread rapidly via text messages and a Facebook Group Page was quickly established:“R.I.P. Matt James”.The Facebook Group Page posted over 3,000 members by Saturday morning (roughly a 12 hour time span) and nearly 8,000 in less than 24 hours.St. Xavier students used social media to put out a call for action to meet at the school for a prayer vigil at 11:00 p.m. Friday night.The Facebook Group Page gave mourners a place to share their thoughts and memories about Matt and to offer condolences to his family.
Matt James was a young man loved by many with incredible talents both on and off the football field. He was scheduled to graduate in June and join fellow football recruit Luke Massa at Notre Dame for the fall under former UC coach Brian Kelly. St. Xavier spokesperson, Mark Motz, was quoted on the ESPN College Football Website as saying about Matt, “His message was that we have to take care of one another."
St. Xavier, the largest Jesuit boys’ school in the United States, is known for their motto: “Men For Others”. Last night, the students of St. Xavier exemplified this belief as they quickly organized a prayer vigil and ensured that their classmates heard the news about their fallen brother as soon as possible, given that many had fanned out with family for the start of Spring Break. Unfortunately, for this tight-knit community, this was a drill that they had been through before. I wrote about a similar call to action last fall, when students rallied together to support Junior classmate Kevin Le, after he was struck by a car. Kevin hung on to life for several days prior to succumbing to his substantial injuries. Read about Kevin Le HERE.
Funeral arrangements are still pending at the time of this posting.Please check the Facebook Group Page for additional details or to leave your thoughts on the Wall.
As you approach this holiday weekend, take some time to unplug: turn off the smart phones, notebooks and laptops and spend some quality time with friends and family.You won’t regret it…..
