Joe & Thomas Merton

From Joe - 

I discovered Thomas Merton when I was stationed in Kodiak, Alaska in 1955-56 in the Navy. I read his Seven Storey Mountain. I was absolutely fascinated with his life. He started out as a regular kind of guy and ended up entering a monastery and eventually influenced people around the world. He made me realize what life was all about, who God is, what my relationship with God is, and what my responsibilities are. I was a Catholic at the time and had seriously considered becoming a priest or monk.

Many years passed, life happened. Jane and I were in Louisville, Kentucky and decided to go out to the Abbey of Gethsemani where Merton lived. It was all closed up to outsiders except for mass which had been in the morning. While we were sitting outside the gates, a monk came walking down the road and asked if he could be of any assistance to us. We indicated we admired Thomas Merton and his work. He explained when the monastery would be open. As we were turning around in the parking lot, we saw another monk. He affirmed what the first monk said and indicated it was Thomas Merton with whom we had spoken.  

typo corrected January 29, 2016