Stumbling. Bumbling. Fumbling. (The Friday Ficks S5 E24)

The choice looked simple on paper.

Stay close to home, surrounded by familiar faces.

Or head across state lines to Providence College, where I knew no one - but felt the tug of something new.

I chose the unknown.

Fall of ’81. I arrived on campus a 17-year-old cocktail of naiveté, bravado, and barely bottled-up energy.

I had no idea, understanding or appreciation for just how pivotal that decision would be. I was navigating blind - learning lessons the hard way and hoping I didn’t crash. No parental oversight. Zero time management. Academic turbulence ensued. Enthusiasm alone, I quickly learned, doesn’t guarantee success.

Stumbling. Bumbling. Fumbling.

That was me.

But I wasn’t alone. Providence College caught me when I fell.

The community, the culture, the guiding light of Veritas - truth - helped me chart a course forward. Not just intellectually, but spiritually, emotionally, and ethically.

My education, made possible by my parents’ unwavering sacrifices and the Dominican order’s generosity, became the foundation of my adult life.

That truth - Veritas - has been my compass ever since.

A few weeks ago, I returned for my 40th reunion. Old friends brought back old laughter. New buildings pointed to progress.

And in quiet corners, I found echoes of that uncertain kid…the one who arrived full of questions, and slowly began to find answers.

That place helped me solve the riddles of my youth. It felt good to be back.

Own the day. Own the weekend.

Carl