Ahh.... Those were the days!

Ah...Those Were the Days

Although I made teaching my life long profession, I look back at the early days of my Catholic school education and get all nostalgic.  It's been decades since I first walked into that first grade class at St. Rita's, but if you've ever been to Catholic school, I bet you can remember those days and smile. It seems everyone has a story to tell of something that happened to them during their Catholic education. I was brought up in an Irish family and there was no doubt that Catholic education would be a big part of my life. I went to the one woman play; I don't remember the name of it, but I do remember an audience packed with "sinners"!  Oh the guilt we carried!  You know, ALL of us, who were chastised all night by Sister for just about anything we did. Remember the smack on the wrist for doing something you did or didn't know was wrong. Out came the yardstick and before you could even blink-whack! Or the old wooden clicker tied together with a rubber band that summoned silence immediately if not sooner!

Everyone has a tale to tell, and I confess (apt choice of words, don't you think?) I have a million tales myself, as well as nuggets of wisdom. Those twelve years of Catholic education shaped me forever--the good, bad, and the ugly!  On the whole, though, I wouldn't trade my experiences for all the world.  I made lasting friends. I'll be telling you about my tales and my husband's stories--you shout out yours. 

I was talking to my daughter-in-law not long ago, and even though there is a generation gap, the memories and tales of her time in New Jersey were just as interesting and exciting as mine those decades ago.  They are a special bond that connect us, no matter the distance in years! In my generation, a Catholic school meant ALL nuns and a Mother Superior who ran the school with an iron fist.  They were all in uniform.  Yours may have been a different order, but the black and white garb unified our experiences. My daughter-in-law may not have had all nuns, but the no nonsense approach to education and SHHH sex education was the same.  And the tales go on and on, and on, and on...


Remember if you dare, the tale about the patent leather shoes.  At this point, if you went to Catholic school --you get what I'm talking about! I don't even need to go further. For those of you who didn't go to Catholic school reading this blog, well, we girls were not allowed to wear patent leather shoes during our "dress up days" so the boys wouldn't look up our dresses through the reflection in the patent leather shoes themselves. And don't forget, dear followers, the consequences of breaking Sister's rules!  But that's what's the point of sharing those endearing and entertaining tales of a Catholic education.

I am writing "Confessionals of a Catholic School Girl", a series of short stories that I will share with you in this blog.  My hope is that you will settle in, laugh at the antics and the horrors, and share your tales of a Catholic education with me.