Remembering Some of the Good Old Days

Remembering Some of the Good Old Days, originally uploaded by Spocker.

This was one of the last few pictures we took with Bro. Vic Franco, FSC.

It was his birthday, and he was bound for Rome for a seven-year stint with the Generalate of the Brothers. Was this '98 or '97? Probably earlier - my memory fails me right now.

You can see me trying to be funny. I was flanked by John and he was flanked by Robert, which probably to that date included three of the heaviest people in SHARE (literally, in weight.) John's married now, and I surmise he is happy with his new state, while Robert, well, I haven't heard from him since I left the Philippines last April.

Bro. Vic remains to me one of the greatest inspirations for doing well in this life, or in any life for that matter. He was one of those people who didn't make things so complicated, even though at times we all know decisions contain so many consequences. It was easy to believe that the Spirit will guide us and continue to breathe in us because he told us so. And he believed it was so.

Sometimes I can't help but feel disappointed over how SHARE has been inactive in those last two years (1999, 2000) and practically dead since 2002. I'm sure Bro. Vic will not be negative about it, and say that the milieu of SHARE was something we have outgrown. Or, in my thinking, I think we have failed to breed the conditions for SHARE to continue growing within us.