no ride, strange habits

I didn't get to ride my bike this Saturday. Some other person obliged me to attend an ordination mass. I have been to quite a few of these ordinations over the past few years. Usually attendance is by invitation only, by virtue of the fact that it's not publicized, probably for crowd control -- can't fit the entire Diocese in one parish. This means that I'm usually an oddball at these ordinations: no, I don't know any of those being ordained. I know a few of the clergy and Religious but that's about it.

Speaking of religious, there were some groups there who were dressed funny. Well, okay they were in religious habit, but they (the habits) were a bit wacky for me. The men had funny hats. The women looked as if they were dressed for a funeral, complete with black lace on their heads. On another occasion, I had seen a group whom I thought were perhaps the cast from "Robin Hood." C'mon folks, let's not pretend that what we wear doesn't matter. I look at these Religious and I wonder if they are aware that we are now in the 21st century. Our dress is not of the utmost importance, I agree, but it most certainly does matter. Just think "job interview;" our dress has a huge impact on our credibility.

I don't mean to make fun of these groups. I have the utmost respect and appreciation for our Religious. I'm just saying that these habits were strange to me and are slightly mind bending; I would have to conciously exhort myself to ignore the visual and related connotations, and TRY to find the individual.