Reading the Catechism

A few months ago I began taking an adult education class on the United States Catechism of the Catholic Church for Adults.  I can honestly say that as a former CCD teacher, a four time godmother, one time confirmation sponsor, a graduate of a Catholic High School and a Catholic University, an employee of a Catholic Church, and the daughter of a ten year seminarian who married a woman who was living in a convent, it has been one of the most humbling experiences of my life.  Half the time when I am reading it I think that I need a study group for my study group.  It seems I can't go from one class to the next without learning some phenomenal new thing about the Catholic Faith that I have been utterly blind to... until now.  

Anyways, as a consequence of this I have taken to bringing my Catechism with me just about everywhere.  Including the airport.  

I went to Chicago a few weeks ago for my college roommate's wedding.  This is the part of the story that happened even before I left the Austin airport.  

I found my gate quickly but there was nowhere to sit.  Ah well, I've always been most comfortable sitting on the floor, legs crossed, book in lap- either watching the world go by or ignoring it completely   This  was no exception.  So there I was in the Austin airport, sitting on the floor, reading my Catechism, trying to focus while fixing my hair in some truly geeky knots.  

And then this guy walked in.  Since the age of three I have been vocally aware of how boy crazy I am, but for the most part I keep it in check.  Then I realized this very cute guy was wearing a giant crucifix around his neck.  For the record- protestants don't wear Crucifixes- only Catholics do.  I proceed to kick myself for leaving my gaudy cross at home.  

Then I realized I didn't need a cross- I had something better- my Catechism.  That's right, I used my USCCC to get a boy's attention.  Except it didn't work.  I thumbed through it, held it upright, flipped through pages, jotted down some notes, dropped it, opened it again, and just about threw it at his head.  Then I gave up.

I sighed, closed the book and was putting it back in my suitcase when I heard someone say, "Excuse me, are you reading the Catechism?"  
I looked up into his lovely blue eyes and preened, all the while thinking, *oh the cleverness of me* as I said, "Yes, yes I am."

And I proceeded to talk to him for the next twenty minutes until it was time to board our flight.  We talked about all kinds of things, my job, his school, Texas, AMU... and that he's a Seminarian in the Diocese of Austin.  It was a humbling experience.  This was particularly embarrassing until we realized that we knew lots of the same people.  

Oh well, next time I'll know, never flirt with a guy who carries his own altar server alb with him on a flight to Chicago.