So, last night I had just eaten dinner and had
settled in nicely to watch an episode of Mad Men when the door bell rang. It
had completely slipped my mind that Andrew Hemby and Andrew Cannada were coming
over to visit. Earlier in the week I had mentioned it to Pam but neither of us
had remembered. But there they were. Ten minutes later, just like in the old
days, Matt King lets himself in, unannounced and uninvited. I felt 45 again!
Although Hemby had promised to bring me a bag of Nicaraguan
coffee beans, he showed up empty handed. Some things never change, I suppose.
We spent a couple of hours together catching up and debating my views on gay marriage,
the church and Hemby’s pending nuptials, pending in the sense that the only
thing missing is a bride. I can’t tell you how proud I am of these three boys.
Andrew Cannada, or “Swift” as he will always be
known to his friends is a Doctor, having just graduated with a degree in
Physical Therapy. He is married to a wonderful girl named Angie. Matt King is a
teacher and also happily married to Sandra, another amazing girl. It is clear
that each of them followed my advice and married up, out kicking their coverage
by a mile! Andrew Hemby is a consultant for an IT firm and doing very well, all
the while trying to decide if he wants to go over to the dark side and become a
lawyer.
I spent four years of my life teaching these guys Sunday
School back in the day. They were three of over 200 kids that I had the privilege
of knowing through the large and boisterous youth program at Grove Avenue
Baptist Church. These three were among the best and brightest that I ever
taught. It comes as no surprise then that they have all grown into outstanding
young men. Listening to them talk last night was an inspiration. Here were
three guys who are thinking and caring about important things, trying their
best to make a difference in the world. They are working hard, serving their
communities, and carving out lives for themselves in a screwed up world.
I’m getting a little bit tired of hearing negative
things about the “millennial” generation. I know all the statistics and I’ve
heard every joke there is about the kid who came home from college and took up
residence in the basement and hasn’t been heard from since. Most of these jokes
are told by members of my generation…the Boomers, the last generation on earth
who should feel obliged to criticize anything. We are in the process of handing
these “millennials” the most dysfunctional America in history, the one that “we”
have been in charge of for the past 15 years. As I sat listening to these three
last night, my confidence in the future was given a much needed boost.
So, hats off to the law firm of Cannada, Hemby and
King, and hats off to their parents, who clearly did something right.
But Hemby, you don’t promise a guy Nicaraguan coffee
beans and then pull the rug out like that. Bad form, bro. Apparently, my work
is not yet done!
