My Induction into the West Fargo High School Hall of Fame

 

Induction into the West Fargo High School Hall of Fame

September 20, 2024

 

The other day I posted a question on my special media:

 

If your 17 year old self could see you now would they be happy or disappointed?

 

For me, my 17 year old self, way back in 1987, would be shocked, I think, to know that the 2024 me would be standing here, in this auditorium (that would not yet have been built in 1987) and be receiving this honor.

 

Considering who I was then, I don’t know if I could’ve even imagined anything like this.

 

Teenagers like I was then, didn’t imagine honors like this in the future.

 

I wasn’t a typical West Fargo teenager.

 

I wanted to be a priest since I was 13 years old (even though I was a Lutheran at the time).

 

And I wanted to be a poet since I was 16 years old.

 

These were not “normal” things teenagers in the 1980s in places like West Fargo aspired to be.

 

And I still am amazed that my poor parents, for whom such things as priests and poets were things they didn’t experience very often (or at all) in their lives, supported their strange teenage son so fully and completely.

 

(I’m sure there were many discussion between them about me)

 

But I realize that without them, without the opportunities I have had in my life, I would not have been able to live this strange, unusual, but absolutely amazing life that I have lived.

 

As grateful as I am for being what I aspired to be even back then, I will admit that for many ears, I envied my "normal" friends, who lived normal lives, who got married, who settled down, who had normal jobs and normal schedules.

 

I envied them.

 

But I never wanted their lives.

 

Finally, one day somewhere along the way, I just started to embrace this unique life that I lived –this life of poetry and faith and books and service to others.  

 

One of my favorite quotes is by the writer Edna Ferber.

 

Ferber, who was the author of books like Giant (which was later made into a film starring James Dean), struggled for years over the fact that she never wanted to get married and settle down in a time when those things were expected.

 

Later in life, she wrote, "Being an old maid is like death by drowning, a really delightful sensation after you cease to struggle."

 

My life has been so much more delightful as soon as I ceased to struggle and just embraced this life I have lived. 

 

I now wear my life as a poet and priest as a badge of honor that I've rightfully earned through a lifetime of learning. And struggle.

 

My life has been a rich one.

 

I have known truly good friends.

 

I have traveled widely.

 

I have delighted over amazing things and seen things not many other people have ever seen.

 

My only regret is that I didn't figure it out earlier.

 

But then, I wouldn’t have had the great experience of finding myself in the process.

 

I wish my parents were here to see this day.

 

They would be so proud of this.

 

And they would be so proud of me.

 

And they were proud of me. I know that.

 

But I am happy my friends and family who are here today are celebrating this honor with me.

 

I want to thank especially Cindy Bleier, who was my Junior Year English teacher.

 

She was the one who introduced me to contemporary American Poetry.

 

I remember as clearly as if it happened yesterday the moment when poetry just sort of “clicked” in my head in that class, while reading Walt Whitman and William Carlos Williams.

It was in that moment that I knew I was going to be a poet.

 

I will always be grateful to her for making poetry come alive for me.

 

She wanted to be here today, but she called this morning to inform me she was sick. But I will visiting her later this week.

 

I want to thank my best friend in high school, who is still my best friend, Greg Bachmeier, who is also not here. He’s not sick, but in true best friend fashion, he just thought it was ridiculous that I’m being inducted.

 

I thank my good high school friends who are here, who also probably think this is crazy—Paul Naseth (who I've known since the seventh grade) and Mike Pulcinski (who I've known since Kindergarten).

 

I thank my aunt uncle, Rhoda and Herm Rabans, and my  dear cousin, Renaye Clemenson, who with her family have been my biggest supporters over these last years.

 

I thank my many friends who are here today, especially my parishioners from my eclectic parish of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in north Fargo.

 

Thank you to the West Fargo Area Education Foundation for this honor.

 

Thank you especially to Nancy Peterson, who has been wonderful to me.

And thank you to Angela Otteson for walking me through this whole process as well.  

 

I have had many opportunities to live elsewhere, and I have traveled far and wide, but I always, always come back to West Fargo. This will always be home for me.

 

Thank you again!