19 November 2007

Fun Monday 11.19.07

Karisma is hosting this week's Fun Monday.

The Rules:

"I want you to take a trip down memory lane, and keep right on going, right back to your childhood. And I want to hear "THAT STORY". You remember the one? Yes, you do! The one your parents, siblings, extended family or friends, would never let you forget, live down or get over!"


Well, I'll try to remember that far back. No pictures to post, since all of my childhood pictures are back home in New York. Now this is a story that only my mother would remember.

Time warp back to 1978. I was 11 years old, and attending Catholic School. During Lunch Recess, I tied someone's shoe laces together, and no one could untie the knots. The nun, in all of her wisdom, concluded that I could not be at the school for lunch anymore. Before you ask, even in the 1970's, there was no open campus in elementary school. Now she made one minor mistake which starts my month-long adventure. She failed to notify my parents that I was going to be eating lunch off school grounds for an hour at a time.

Month Of Culinary Bliss

Imagine. A piggy bank full of silver dollars, and every restaurant within a half hour's walk at my disposal. All I had to do is not get killed for an hour. Micky D's, Seven Stars Chinese Take Out, KFC, Gino's Cheese Steaks, etc... I think I gained twenty pounds in that month.

All Good Things...

So here I am, eating like a king, then the money runs out. Panicked, I decided to take my life into my hands, and tell my mother.

Things were said when I told my mom. The only words from her I remember are "For a MONTH?!?" The very next day, my mother went to the school, and had a heart to heart chat with Sister Francis. From that time on, the nun not only let me eat at school again, but she was rather nice to me. Did mom punish me? Nope. She figured that walking around in an area that featured a body every other week was punishment enough. She did not even tell my Dad.

From time to time, mom still remembers the above event.

Lessons Learned

>Do not tie any knot that cannot be undone.

>Always save your change. You never know when you will need it.

>Keep your kids away from nuns. Some of them could be sadistic.

25 comments:

Sandy said...

"Some of them could be sadistic"? Are you kidding? 12 years of Catholic school and I am here to tell you that, in my experience, MOST of them are sadistic. Not to say that I didn't learn a lot and that they weren't great teachers but they definitely were not trying to be our friends, huh?

Robocop said...

All I learned was that it was evil to write left-handed.

karisma said...

Now obviously, you guys were not scary enough! The last nun left my school when I was in the 8th grade. We all waved a friendly goodbye!

Having said that, I can just imagine what transpired between your mother and the said "witch". I would have killed her (with a smile on my face of course!)

Pamela said...

what? they aren't all mother teresa??

I suspect your mom put a kink in the old bats habit.

Hootin Anni said...

I can vouch about nuns! rofl.

I too went to Catholic School. What a time I had...well, let me put it this way...what a time the NUNS had!!!

kitten said...

Sounds like my mom taking care of some of the PS teachers here. I bet you can tie a heck of a knot!

Kim said...

Very cute story. I bet that nun was sorry after your mama got finished with her.

Tiggerlane said...

My kid writes left-handed - glad she isn't going to Catholic school! I would have enjoyed eating "off-campus." Sounds like your mom was VERY understanding!

Sauntering Soul said...

So they encouraged you to eat off campus? My school had a fence around it and several assistant principals stood guard at every gate with walkie talkies so none of us could leave. I guess they knew nobody wanted to stay on campus and eat the nasty stuff they served in the cafeteria.

Unknown said...

Wow. A whole month? Can you imagine how long it would've lasted if you didn't tell you mom? Sr. Francis sounds a little difficult.

The nuns I had were 1. either way too in love with fellow Catholic Mel Gibson 2. So liberal they wore t-shirts with themselves saying mass or 3. Sr. Laverne - the 75 year old one who drove 80 in a 15 passenger van and as a lawyer who worked for 911, dared any cop to pull her over.

Anonymous said...

Hello? They celibate....of course they are sadistic! What an adveture for you though.

the rotten correspondent said...

They would have kicked me out of church for what I would have said to that nun.

A MONTH?? I can't even imagine.

Anonymous said...

Fabulous story. I can't believe they let you out of school. Irresponsible.

Alix said...

That is just the best story. I can imagine what your Mum said and I agree with Susan!

Peter said...

Hey Robocop, good story.... how did you position your "don't tie knots that can't be undone" advice to be opposite the "fight Pedophiles" icon on the sidebar?

Robocop said...

I just noticed that. **LOL** Would you believe that is just how things fell into place?

Anonymous said...

Holy crap! Times sure have changed - at least you were 11 and not a little 6 year old!!!

Anonymous said...

Nowadays someone would lose their job over that one! I can't even imagine it. What a great story!.

Amanda said...

What fun you must have had for a month!

Anonymous said...

Great story. I would have been some upset were I your mom, and a bit proud of such a resourceful child. I am sure the words your mom had with the school went a long way in changing the attitude of the nun in question.

alisonwonderland said...

i love the "lessons learned"! :o)

willowtree said...

"Some of them could be sadistic"?!?! are you fucking kidding me??

Anonymous said...

Wow. Now that I am a parent, I can see how your mom might not like the punishment given out to you. Good thing nothing bad happened. I am surprised stuff like that still happened in 1978. I graduated in 1979...but it wasn't at a Catholic school.

Alta said...

That's what moms are for. Didn't you know that? Well of course none of us knew that back then. Great story!

Robocop said...

Looking back at the event is both funny, and frightening. I could only imagine if this happened to a child today.