Wally's World

Monday, October 23, 2006

I got an email from my old friend Wally over the weekend. Apparently a friend of his had seen the post I wrote about playing hooky a few weeks ago and had passed along a link.

Wally's email was warm and nice. I felt a tiny bit bad about outing him and Sue Geertsen publicly like I did and expected him to say something about it. He didn't. I obviously didn't feel enough guilt to keep me from mentioning it again just now either. I'm sure if I ever get an email from her it will be less forgiving.

Wally reminded me of some very good times I had that summer. He brought me up to date on some of the other missionaries I haven't seen in years. Wally also told me that a spark had been ignited in him despite what some people would call troubles he had that year.

There is a lot about that summer 15 years ago that is still very clear on my mind. I loved it. It's where I found my love of theater - and of sharing the gospel - of performing with the spirit.

I post that because I believe he is sincere. I don't sense that Wally is trying to re-convert me in any way. He's just sharing his honest feelings with me. I post it also to point out the irony that he was sent home from Nauvoo, lo those many summers ago, and that I stayed and even tried to extend my stay into a full-time gig.

I feel bad for having been judgmental about him too. I was the kind of missionary who felt the rules were paramount to the work. I remember Wally trying to educate me on having a little more fun and relaxing once in a while. I thought that made him a bad missionary at the time. What it made him was a good and understanding person.

I'm glad for the good times we shared and I hope there are more to come for us.

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