A Day of Discoveries

The world is truly changing…and I am not just talking about life since 2020 pre-pandemic times. It’s changing and so should some of our learned archaic thinking.

Last week I spent a wonderfully pleasant afternoon enjoying the great spring-like weather outside at one of my favorite spots—the vast and well-groomed lawns at the Monastery in Conyers.

I just love that place with all its peaceful tranquility that embodies wholesomeness and holiness…it just puts my soul at ease. I often take my kids there for downtime, they are learning to love it too! A new walking/biking/running trail has been added that connects the monastery to the 18.2 mile Rockdale River Path Trail. No, we haven’t done the whole trail and to be honest I doubt we ever will or yet I doubt I will ever complete it, by foot at least.

Anyway last week’s visit was different. I don’t know if it was new things happening or me just noticing details I had missed before. Robyn and I spent the better part of four hours there doing driving lessons (which I will get to later), catching up on some reading (her the Bible which she felt the Monastery was the perfect place for and me some internet trappings), and just communing with nature as we observed the geese, squirrels, and cats that call the area home.

With the exception of a few individuals who popped in and out of the front lawn area, it was just she and I for the better part of our stay. And no Jacob did not join us on this particular day; he did not want to so I let him opt out.

My first new observance was the presence of a Sysco truck, presumably making a delivery to the monks as I noticed it leaving the living quarters. I didn’t know the monks had food delivered and by a 18-wheeler nonetheless. Robyn thought I was cuckoo for being amazed by the truck being there. But probably what was more amazing was that I thought that the monks still grew most of their own food.

I figure there had to be a grocery run at some point for them but I wouldn’t have imagined a Sysco truck. I know they operate a food bank or at least did pre-pandemic, but there again I thought it was homegrown goods. And I am not alone, I was discussing the sighting with my friend Nichole (who like me likes to keep abreast of worldly, cultural affairs) was just as shocked to hear about the delivery. She noted that the monks do journey to the grocery store to shop because she has seen them on a few occasions in their robes. Who knew?

Observation #2 was not as shocking as the first but caught me off guard as I had never witnessed it before. As we sat on the bench doing our readings, I noticed a golf cart swiftly pass us by. I didn’t pay much attention to the driver until a few minutes later when I saw a monk, robed and all, disembark from the cart to unlock a gate to a partitioned part of the grounds.

In all the times we had visited I had never seen a monk outside the chapel on any of the grounds. I figured they did most of their outdoor duties in the early morning hours.

Anyway I observed, without trying to be obvious, him complete his task. As he was headed back to the living quarters, he paused just a few hundred feet away from us for a conversation. I didn’t recall seeing anyone with him but maybe he had brought someone back with him from his task. Nope! He was a talking on a cellular phone. Who knew monks had cell phones? Not me and not Nichole.

I had begun to realize monks and nuns weren’t living archaic lives like we assume they do but that we on the outside were thinking of them archaicly. Robyn chided me for being “all up in their business” with the truck delivery and cell phone but those little things were fascinating to me in that moment.

I was talking to Jenny about my outing and she commented “I didn’t think monks could talk” as in speak. I told her that was only certain orders from back in the day in addition to those that take a vow of silence. But even so they speak when they chant during their services. I just didn’t see the cell phone coming.

My last shock of the day was from myself. At some point, Robyn asked if she could re-park the car. Let me preface this by noting that during the pandemic I started giving her driving lessons. She is as tall as me, if not more, and is ready.

So yes I have been giving my 13-year old in-car lessons from the passenger seat. She has been very receptive and and responsible. So when she asked to re-park, I took a glance around saw no one or no thing and said yes. I think she thought I was getting in the car but I wasn’t budging. She did fine, no alerts needed.

Well fast forward 30 minutes or so and she asked “can I practice driving mom?” Without any hesitation, I said yes. So she grabbed the keys and headed for the car once again but I didn’t follow. She beckoned me to come and I told her I wasn’t going with her that she was on her own.

Now that had to be the Lord speaking through me and calming me at that moment because normal Susan wouldn’t have said that. As she started the car and inched out of the parking lot onto the short road to another parking lot and back. I felt o.k. because we were at the monastery after all and the Lord had to be with us, right?

All’s well that ends well; she did fine that day and we both learned a lot!