This Life I've Lived

Rome, 1996

December 13, 2014
Day 227

I have stood in the Coliseum in Rome, gazed across the majesty of the Grand Canyon, marveled in the mist of Niagara Falls, and been floored by the beauty of Galway Bay.  I’ve been kissed under The Eiffel Tower, been to Disneyland and Disney World, traveled to Italy, Ireland, Canada, Puerto Rico, Mexico, Trinidad and Tobago, England, and France. 

I’ve been an altar boy and Bishop’s server, and gave four years of my life as a monk in a Roman Catholic religious order.  I've heard Mother Teresa speak live in my local parish, and got within 20 feet of her as she left the church.  I attended an audience with Pope John Paul II in Rome, a mass celebrated by him too where we had seats right up near the front, and attended other speeches by him on both sides of the Atlantic.

Grand Canyon, 2006

I have stared at the bones of Saint Peter from less than 10 feet away, toured the Secret Vatican Archives with its curator, and participated in a private mass held several levels below ground in the catacombs of ancient Rome.

I've been to 26 states including Hawaii, where I watched the sun rise from the top of Mount Haleakala, rode in a submarine out between the Hawaiian islands, and swam underwater with a giant sea turtle.   

I was a member of the Publishers Clearing House Prize Patrol, and surprised people with big checks, balloons, flowers, and champagne.  I've been on network television twice, have an autographed Golden Ticket from the original Mike Teevee, who I also e-mailed with, and I've toured the Guinness factory in Dublin, Ireland.  I've flown first class, eaten fish and chips in an English back garden, and once had a delicious lunch at the top of the CN Tower in Toronto.   

I've written hundreds of poems, some of which have been published through both professional and college presses, I've read the Bible cover to cover, I can recite and sing the alphabet backwards for you, and I've found true love.

London, 2007

I have preached over a dozen homilies to the monks I lived with, and lived at four different locations, all on Long Island.  I have dipped my hand into the Trevi Fountain in Rome, the Thames in London, and the Seine in Paris.  I have been blessed with five brothers and five sisters, many nieces and nephews, and one great niece.  I have received multiple messages from Heaven, including some from my deceased loved ones.  My father's soul appeared to me on a train seconds after he died.  We spoke for about 10 seconds, and it was an experience I'll never forget.

I've been to Las Vegas several times, and even won a thousand dollars on a slot machine.  I've stared out from The Statue of Liberty's crown, and seen New York from the top of the Empire State Building, Rockefeller Center, and the observation deck of the Twin Towers.  I slept on the steps of the New York City Post Office the night of the 2003 blackout.  I've been the victim of an attempted mugging.  I've stolen from relatives, and shoplifted from a supermarket.  I've been kissed on the lips by a stranger in a bar, been a ring bearer at one wedding, read a prayer at another, and caught the garter at a third. 

Summer 2002 with Andy

I've been thanked for saving someone’s life, been nominated for Volunteer of the Year, and won the Humanitarian of the Year award in my local community.  

One year I proofread the shareholder letters of Kenneth Cole, Steve Wynn, and Jeffrey Katzenberg.  I was in Little League as a kid, and one night hit a triple that brought in three runners, winning us the game.  I umpired a Little League game in high school once, too.  I've been a babysitter, a Newsday delivery boy, and worked various jobs in my local A&P during high school.  I was even trusted to run the Produce Department while the manager was away on vacation. 

I failed out of my first high school, but ended up living there as a monk years later.  I graduated cum laude from Manhattan College with degrees in English Literature and Theology. 

I've seen Billy Elliot The Musical 56 times between London, Broadway, and on tour.  I've met and become friends with cast members and their families, danced on the stage of The Imperial Theatre on Broadway, and made countless friends through theatre and Billy Elliot as well.

I grew up in the same house on Long Island that actress Ann Meara did.  I've toured the U.N., Central Park, and NBC Studios.  I’ve seen the Declaration of Independence and the Papal Bulls protesting the marriage of King Henry VIII to Catherine of Aragon.  I’ve had long conversations with Andy Kaufman’s brother Michael, who I used to work with.  I attended a private screening of Man on the Moon with the Kaufman family and some of Andy Kaufman's friends. 

I've had to jump over fences and run to escape arrest.  I've marched on Washington for the rights of the unborn, and twice marched down 5^th Avenue in Manhattan for gay rights.  I've written and published two books, and I'm writing three more at the moment.  Along with my sister and her friend, I once got a “wave” going at a Mets' game in Shea Stadium. 

I've toured Westminster Abbey in London, Notre Dame in Paris, and St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome.  I've visited the Hollywood Hills and stood near the famous Hollywood sign, I've driven down 8 Mile Road in Michigan, and I've stood inside the home of Saint Augustine.  I was once in a small room in Vermont at the Calvin Coolidge homestead, and a man who played guitar with Elvis Presley introduced himself to a woman whose father played in a band for Calvin Coolidge.  I've walked through the Sistine Chapel, and I've stared into the eyes of Mona Lisa.

I recently celebrated 13 beautiful years with my beautiful partner Andy, we bought our house together in a little town I've always loved, and I've had countless other wonderful experiences with him over the years.  I certainly hope and pray to have countless more in the future!

These are just SOME of the many beautiful life experiences I have had so far in my first 40 years of life on Planet Earth.  I pray God will let me make many more memories for years to come!