Bold Demons, Bold as Brass

Posted On March 15, 2011

I am indeed the product of 12 years of Catholic education.  Having not experienced anything different until I got to college, I’m not sure how different I’d be if I hadn’t gone to Catholic school.  I’d have to say there were things I will never forget about it. Although, when you are living through the experience, I’m sure many of my Catholic school friends would agree that some of the things just made you shake your head in wonder.

I grew up in the city in Philadelphia, and if your family could afford it, it seemed to offer superior surroundings, and more than likely, a better education.  Our elementary school was not so bad, but I can remember my mom really had issues with the middle school, and not as much the high school.  They also didn’t think it was fair to have you go to public school and have a circle of friends for 6 years, only to uproot you in 6th grade to go to middle school in order to attend Catholic school and as a result have to make new friends, learn a whole new way of doing things, and be thrown in an environment that was so tough it had metal detectors and security guards to help keep the peace.  I am extremely thankful that my parents, even on the modest salary of a mailman and secretary, were able to send four kids through 12 years of Catholic school.  With all it’s quirks and annoying things, I’d have to say it was a safe environment and I have no doubt it helped mold me into what I think of as a good person.

It wasn’t the most friendly environment for myself.  I don’t know that I was particularly shy, but I never talked much to the other kids because you just weren’t supposed to talk in class, and I liked to follow the rules.  One day in first grade someone asked how I did on my report card, and I said, “Great, I got all A’s”.  I didn’t think it was a big deal, because I didn’t think I did anything special, but apparently the other kids did, as I was automatically labeled the smart kid, and ostracized and made fun of as a goody two shoes as a result.  There were of course friends here and there, but the teachers liked me and of course, then I was considered the teacher’s pet. It wasn’t always easy, as kids can be mean and I shed a lot of tears, but somewhere around sixth grade I decided, you know what, I don’t really care what the other kids say or think, I know I’m a good kid who’s fun to be around, I’m just gonna be me, and if you don’t like it, that’s kind of your problem.  For better or worse that attitude has mostly stayed with me throughout my life.

Sister LaVerna in my second grade class was my first experience being taught by a nun.  She was a short, older woman, who kind of waddled around a bit–I have to imagine she was getting on in years, or she wouldn’t have had such difficulty walking.  She did not tolerate anything but silence and following directions.  I don’t remember a whole lot about that year–but I do remember I sure wrote enough circle, circle, circle, and loop, loop, loop (it felt like thousands!) that year to have pretty decent handwriting–seems like that’s what we spent most of the year learning.  Sadly, it’s one of those skills that they don’t seem to pay much attention to these days, and I have to imagine it may even become a lost art at some point or another. I’m told all the time by teachers that the kids will all be using computers at some point anyway.  But what if you have to sign your name or write a grocery list?  Guess you’ll just be using a fingerprint or retina scan one of these days, huh?

One thing I definitely remember from my tenure in Catholic school is how to line up.  I bet I am one of the best liner uppers in the planet as a result of attending 12 years of Catholic School.  You had to line up to when you first got to school in the morning, line up to go to the bathroom, line up in your classroom, one person precisicely in front of you–so that you could walk outside and stand in yet another line–all the while while there was absolutely no TALKING!!

I must also say that I don’t think I’ll ever actually be able to wear another pair of navy blue socks again after wearing them every day to school for 12 years–my husband says the same thing about navy blue pants.  I also have a serious dislike for saddle shoes–I can remember wearing them to the point that my feet were hanging out of them, but had absolutely no desire to buy another pair before the year was out as a mild form of protest.

Even kids in Catholic school did things I’m sure kids do the world over.  Like assign pet names to some of the teachers.  Unfortunately, I can remember my third grade teacher’s name was Miss Hoagie nose (in Philly a hoagie is another name for sub on a long roll). Some teachers’ reputation also preceded them years before you ever got into the classroom.  Sister Floretta is the coiner of the famous phrase from my school:  “Bold demons, bold as brass!” to which she would fold her tongue over somehow and stick it out at the same time.  She was infamous for her daily quizzes on your times tables in fifth grade.  You also had to write your times tables, over and over again; this also felt like thousands of times.  But you know what? As scary as that lady was, we all knew our times tables back and forth and three days to Sunday by the end of that year.  Not sure if we named a nick name for our Mr. Meng, but I certainly remember that when we went outside on a windy day, his comb over definitely used to fly off in the wind.  Poor guy, should have worn a hat on those days ;/

There were many other things that were ingrained into your life as a Catholic school kid.  Going to mass regularly during the different liturgical seasons–I felt bad for this one boy that used to turn green and have to sit outside most of the time, as the incense they wafted through the air was enough to make him hurl. I don’t know why, but clickers seemed to be required equipment for many of the nuns in school.  If you don’t know what a clicker is, it’s a little metal thing pieced together so that when you pressed on it repeatedly, it made this annoying “clickety click click sound” which they often did over and over and over again to get your attention.  One of the cherished memories that I have was ordering a soft pretzel and chocolate milk for snack each day.  I can still remember them being warm from the oven some days and definitely something to look forward to with my three recess times!

There were also some pretty questionable disciplinary tactics that I don’t know quite how they ever got away with.  One of the principals from my grade school used to whack bad kids with a brass ruler that she had.  I can remember my own sister coming home once with welts on her hands from one of those sessions.  This same disciplinarian also used to line everyone up and threaten to hit the entire class if someone didn’t own up to some evil thing that happened.  I can remember one kid admitting to it one year that didn’t even do the rotten deed in question just to prevent all the kids from being hit.  Nice.  Another time, I witnessed a different principal getting so angry that she tossed a kid down a flight of stairs–a very long flight with probably over 30 or forty steps.  Man, that woman is lucky she didn’t seriously hurt that kid. I was shocked even as an older kid that she could get away with that.

High school was not so bad.  It was really great to meet a new crowd of people, and I made some great friends there that I stayed in contact with through college and beyond.  For the most part it passed by pleasantly enough, but of course was not without it quirkiness as well.  It was an all girls school, and we had to wear dresses each and every day. I didn’t mind wearing the same thing every day, it was actually cool not worrying about what to wear, it was more the dress part of it that I didn’t care for.  Hated both of those things.  I often wonder how different I would have been with boys in school.  Not that I minded going to school with girls, but it’s definitely a different dynamic not have the opposite sex there to give their opinions and, lets face it, to be a distraction.  Maybe it was a good thing, who knows?

I can certainly remember when I got there, that it wasn’t nearly as easy to get the straight A’s that I had earned through my grade school career.  I was also placed in an advanced algebra class that I had no right being in–as for all the other girls it was clearly a review, while I was the poor kid that was constantly raising her hand not having any earthly idea what they were talking about.  I lived, but never took advanced math, and wondered if I would have if I had been placed more correctly in a regular class.

In my freshman year, I did not know any other kids in my lunch, so I went up to a girl that was in all of my classes and asked if I could join them–she told me to wait a minute, she’d have to ask her friends, seriously??–but she did come back and say, “Sure!”.  I guess they weren’t so bad as those were the girls I remained friends with for years.

There was lots of opportunity for fun.  School dances at the boys’ high school (I could swear I probably saw my husband break dancing there because I hear stories today of him hanging out there too, as a kid). I was a yearbook editor, stage crew manager, National Honor Society member and on the speech team. I think I may have forgotten a few things, but there was ample opportunity to get involved.  My poor schoolmates probably wanted to beat me as I’d constantly ask them to pass notes to my newly found friend to pass while away the time–added to the excitement I guess of not being allowed to talk.  Here I also learned that nuns could do regular things–still remember my whole class being shocked that my english nun actually played tennis!

I will never forget being suspended for driving by our brother school with a car load of girls and honking our horns–as it was gross insubordination for going against what we were strictly FORBIDDEN not to do.  After they suspended a roomful of girls, they had to make it not really count as they found that many of the girls were in the top 10%. If it was enforced as in the rule book, they would have no one to fill the student leadership if it actually counted as a true suspension by failing conduct–so we all failed, but it didn’t really count.  Very nice example.

But overall, it wasn’t so bad at all.  I have lots of cherished memories and friends that I hold dear.  It was a tough choice to opt not to send my own kids today, but our schools are so highly rated here in the DC area, it was hard not to take advantage of them, and it certainly helps not to have to pay thousands for each child in tuition.  I think we made the right choice.  For as wonderful as my education was, I think that more than anything it was the values and parenting of my dear mom and dad that truly laid the groundwork for who I am today.  Thanks mom and dad!