This past weekend, my great and good friend Meredith came to visit. She and I were roommates for about a year in Dallas, and during that time she became one of my very favorite people. I always laugh the most when I'm around her.

On Sunday night, we left the convent and walked down to Jimmie's Tap Room. I've lived here for 9 months now, and it was my first time ever at the little bar just two blocks from home. We took our time taking it all in... the misspelled "EMPLOEES ONLY" sign on the door, the Precious Moments doll behind the bar, the porcelain clown and fisherman figurines...

After talking quietly in a corner for a while, we were welcomed by some of the regulars. There was "Red" who didn't say much, he just clapped really loudly and often near people's ears for no apparent reason (other than the alcohol, I suppose). As the evening wore on, his friends also started rolling their eyes and referring to him as "F***ing Hands." Then there was Keith whose sister is going to see the Pope this week. He was excited, because his sister promised to tell the Pope he said 'hi'. And Jim was a truck driver who wore an American flag on his shirt. At one point, he looked down at his shirt and said, "Yeah.... America. Those red stripes are for blood. The white is for freedom. Um... the blue... well, that's for depression. And the stars are for... Hollywood."

After talking to these guys for a while, we found out that they all went to school together at St. Elizabeth's thirty years ago when they were kids. They had all sorts of stories about their school days and the nuns who used to live here in the convent. Jim admitted that there are plenty of problems in this neighborhood, but he has seen some good changes too... There is actually less racism now than several years ago, and he was hopeful about the potential for even better relationships in the future. As a truck driver, Jim is on the road a lot. But whenever he comes home, he spends time with his friends at this neighborhood pub. It seems like a tight little community that spends their time there. He said they're mostly people who live within about six blocks of the place and have lived in Norwood their entire lives.

It was quite an experience. I'm sure I'll go back. Does anybody want to go with me?