INSPIRING LIVES
Words to Live By Bob Seng ’83
I came to Saint John’s in 1979. I was the son of a divorced Mom—not an easy gig as a Catholic in the 1970s—who raised four children on a school nurse’s salary. I’ll never forget what it was like to say goodbye to her on that first day in front of Mary Hall. I was a 18-year-old young man who was angry at the world and didn’t have much sense of what I wanted to do or where I wanted to go. Enter Louis (prounounced “Louie”) Blenkner, OSB, an idiosyncratic monk who wore a black robe, sandals and no socks, even in winter. It didn’t take long for me to realize that I could have been having more fun on Thursday nights than I was having in Br. Louis’s freshman English colloquium for three hours in Engel Hall. But that class was the start of something special.
for each of the three men in my family who had attended Saint John’s. They took the time to drive to the Twin Cities, gave a few hugs and condolences, and were off. No grandstanding. Just caring. No institution is without faults and we’ve seen some of those very clearly at Saint John’s in the recent past. However, when I look back on my experience, I’m overwhelmed with gratitude for the care these dedicated people showed to me. These characters added dimension and direction to my life that I think about every day, even 35 years later.
Br. Louis sensed my lack of interest in business and economics classes and encouraged me to enroll in Eila Perlmutter’s advanced composition class my sophomore year. I can imagine Br. Louis chuckling to himself when he thought about my first few weeks in a class of senior English majors. Dr. Perlmutter was difficult, demanding and a little scary at first. But she taught me how to write. As a lawyer, I make my living in no small part by written words. I couldn’t have done it without her! The next professor Br. Louis recommended was Alfred Deutsch, OSB. Before I took Fr. Alfred’s Milton class, I could have counted on one hand the number of poems I had read. I can still see the twinkle in Fr. Alfred’s eyes as he read “Paradise Lost” aloud. He sparked a love of poetry in me that continues today. Finally, there was Janet McNew. Professor McNew brought 18th and 19th century literature to life and left an indelible impression on me. To this day, I credit her as the person most responsible for my metamorphosis from non-reader to reader. It was a lifetime gift. My Mom died way too young—at my present age of 55—of ovarian cancer. Three monks from Saint John’s came to her funeral. My brothers and I said that one came
Bob Seng is a husband, father and proud uncle. He is a partner in the law firm of Dorsey & Whitney LLP in Minneapolis for his day job.
Inspiring Lives is reserved for reflective pieces with a Benedictine theme written by Saint John’s alumni. Please submit essays, poetry or other reflections for consideration to the editor: bduffy@csbsju.edu.
44 SUMMER/FALL 2016