I was about nine years old when my best friend in the old neighborhood came running over, knocked loudly on the door and yelled, come on Nance get your scarf, we'll be late. She was so excited and then of course so was I. But late? Late for what? I didn't ask right away and so I asked my mother who was getting dressed for work where was a scarf. She showed me, and a I ran yelled what do you need a scarf for? But I was gone. Outside was Sandy and Anna, a girl who lived across the street , was Puerto Rican and Catholic. Sandy and I were Lutheran and Anna was also older so I guess wee know what she was talking about.
After all, at our ages what did we know about religion, so off we went to church, a giant old grey building known as O.L.P. H. To me it was like a mansion, or something you see in the movies. We did know to respect it as nuns and priests were always in and out. But that's all we knew. As we got closer, Anna told up to put our scarves on before we went in. So we got inside and then she told us to kneel a little and make the sign of the cross. Oh boy, now it was getting really confusing and I whispered, we'll be late for school. Then Anna told us.
We would be forgiven because today we had to receive communion. Okay. Heck if I was going to be forgiven what did it matter? Anna took us up to the alter, stood us in front of a priest who had this little round paper thing which I learned later was a wafer, not like vanilla wafers either. He put it on my tongue and I started to gag. I didn't even notice Sandy, but she and Anna were already back in a pew. I joined them where I quickly threw up.
Hurrying off to school I found out I was not going to be forgiven but had to bring a note from home on being late that day. Uh oh. It was in school I was first told I should have gone into a Catholic church much more than that to receive communion. That night after supper, to be safe, I asked my mother, to be safe again for a note. Boy did that set off my next four year as a Catholic ! Once my parents learned what I did, my mother laughed, my father laughed and of course my brothers and sister teased me a lot. Any time after that when ever I was called in for supper or told to go to the store it was always, get the Catholic. Oh what good Lutherans my parents were to set such a fine example.
It didn't take long to learn not only was I not Catholic, but what they thought were insults, only made me more curious to find out about that religion and when I was about thirteen I asked a nun, how I could become a nun-still didn't learn enough :) Sandy was teased a little, but she was my best friend and just looking out for me like Anna thought she was doing for both Sandy and I.
Isn't the innocence of kids amazing?
After all, at our ages what did we know about religion, so off we went to church, a giant old grey building known as O.L.P. H. To me it was like a mansion, or something you see in the movies. We did know to respect it as nuns and priests were always in and out. But that's all we knew. As we got closer, Anna told up to put our scarves on before we went in. So we got inside and then she told us to kneel a little and make the sign of the cross. Oh boy, now it was getting really confusing and I whispered, we'll be late for school. Then Anna told us.
We would be forgiven because today we had to receive communion. Okay. Heck if I was going to be forgiven what did it matter? Anna took us up to the alter, stood us in front of a priest who had this little round paper thing which I learned later was a wafer, not like vanilla wafers either. He put it on my tongue and I started to gag. I didn't even notice Sandy, but she and Anna were already back in a pew. I joined them where I quickly threw up.
Hurrying off to school I found out I was not going to be forgiven but had to bring a note from home on being late that day. Uh oh. It was in school I was first told I should have gone into a Catholic church much more than that to receive communion. That night after supper, to be safe, I asked my mother, to be safe again for a note. Boy did that set off my next four year as a Catholic ! Once my parents learned what I did, my mother laughed, my father laughed and of course my brothers and sister teased me a lot. Any time after that when ever I was called in for supper or told to go to the store it was always, get the Catholic. Oh what good Lutherans my parents were to set such a fine example.
It didn't take long to learn not only was I not Catholic, but what they thought were insults, only made me more curious to find out about that religion and when I was about thirteen I asked a nun, how I could become a nun-still didn't learn enough :) Sandy was teased a little, but she was my best friend and just looking out for me like Anna thought she was doing for both Sandy and I.
Isn't the innocence of kids amazing?
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