An Interesting E-mail

I want to share with you a story about an interesting e-mail I received yesterday. And what I've gotten myself into...

I was e-mailing back and forth with Bill Lewellis. He is the person who compiles and edits newSpin and the DioBeth blog. I was trying to get the announcement about the Peach Festival onto the blog. Bill said he was on vacation and in pain (sciatica) and suggested that I post the message onto the Bethlehem of PA site (a Diocesan news group through ECUNET with a large distribution throughout the Diocese) and he would take it from there and add it to newSpin. It took a while but with Bill's help I figured it out and posted the message.

About an hour later I received an e-mail from Rick Cluett, addressed to the Ecunet e-mail address I had used for the post.

Here is what he wrote:

I am writing on behalf of the bishop's office to ask if you might be willing to become the chair of the Elections Committee at Diocesan Convention. The fellow who has done it for the last couple of decades died this year and we are seeking a new leader (not necessarily for decades, I would be happy with a 1-convention commitment [Grin]).

If this is even of remote interest or possibility, please let me know.
Thanks for considering.

From Archdecon Cluett? On behalf of the Bishop's office? Well, what could I do? Besides, I could actually see Rick's grin. And if you know him, you know the grin I mean!

But does Rick even know who I am? After thinking about it for a few minutes I realized that, yeah, he probably does, even though we have only met a couple of times, briefly. (There was that EpiscoPals thing.)

And, yes, there was a remote interest. Well, maybe more than remote. I recalled the times when there was a call for delegates to past Conventions and I had thought, "I don't know how to do that." There were always volunteers so I was never pressed into service. But I could imagine that at some point I would volunteer as a delegate. And then ask how to do it.

So I decided to say yes. I told to my wife, Jill, about it. "Yes, I can see why you want to do this." She had no objections. I then replied to Rick that I would accept (term length undetermined [Grin]). I hoped my grin worked as well as his!

Since then I've been thinking about the chain of events that led to this: pushing Bill to advertise the St. Margaret's Peach Festival (for Carol); posting to Bethlehem of PA (struggle, struggle, success), thus reminding Rick that I exist (and ensuring he knows where to get hot dogs and a peach cobbler); not being able to resist that grin!

So, I can either credit the guiding hand that led me to this path or blame Carol, Bill, Ecunet, Rick, and his grin, for getting me into this.

I think I know which it will be.

Peach be with you,

Mark