40 years ago

I share with you today three photos as flashbacks from 40 years ago. The first one shows my parents with a New York friend at the base of the World Trade Centre, right in front of the famous sculpted globe. They did go on top of the world with a spectacular view of the Manhattan skyline and the adjacent Hudson River. Little did they know that 19 years later, the Twin Towers would be destroyed in one of the saddest days in American and world history.

The second photo shows me after I just finished painting the jeep we used to plough snow from the parking lot in my parish of Holy Spirit in New Hyde Park. I used the ploughing to practice driving, after which I got my driver’s license in February 1983. I gave up my license here in Malta three years ago, after experiencing lots of traffic in our streets, and also to help the environment. My action is only a tiny drop in a huge ocean, as another 50 cars are added daily to the already overcrowded roads. Besides, traveling by bus is fairly convenient for me, except when on a rare occasion, the bus doesn’t show up at all, and have to wait another hour for the next one!

My third photo is during the baptism of Petra-Julienne Coppini , the first daughter of Josie and Carmen Coppini, whom I had married in January of 1981. They would have another daughter, Justine, and each daughter would have children of their own, baptizing one of them myself. Josie was a well-know comic actor and performer in Malta, and he passed away 24 years ago in July. I happened to be present for his funeral at St. Julian’s parish, having just arrived from New York to visit my family. Yet I kept contact with Carmen over the years, and until the pandemic started, she used to attend my Mass at my chapel.

And this one was from 32 years ago when my first nephew Julian was born on July 30, 1990. Happy Birthday Dr. Julian Jr.