Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Authority: What was Dad Thinking?



My father, an authority on most things, got the education thing wrong when we moved to Guam. After speaking to other authorities on the subject, he decided the Catholic school curriculum was more advanced, therefore better than the public schools. He enrolled my older sister and me in Catholic school. We failed miserably. My science teacher, a nun from Korea, talked so fast that spit ejected from her mouth, and her scribbles on the board were confusing and useless to me.  

It wasn’t only our grades that suffered, our behavior took a bad spin too. Seemed everywhere we turned we were breaking some rule or another, skirt lengths, bubble gum, make-up, the wrong kind of scarf or headband, and once my sister had a note sent home; holding hands with her boyfriend in the hallways. I saw a lot worse things going on in the hallways, but I think those nuns had it in for us, the Jewish sisters.

Jewish girls in a Catholic school. What was Dad thinking?

With each infraction of the code there was a fine, a dollar for chewing gum, or for skirts rolled up. The note home for the boyfriend was probably the last straw. After a few short months my Dad had had enough. Between the lousy grades and the fines he yanked us out of there and plopped us in public school where we behaved like angels or no one seemed to notice us.  

Public school had a few challenges of its own. We picked up the nasty habit of cigarette smoking so we could fit in, but we steered clear of anything dangerous like getting involved in the fights between rival gangs of Guamanians and Filipinos. Once, when a girl in the bathroom demanded a cigarette and I didn’t have one she threatened to beat me up. Luckily the bell rang. I always carried extra cigarettes after that.

With improved grades and no fines, Dad was happy and could go back to being the authority figure I loved and respected.  

(This post is a sample of a book project, stories and poems, about growing up in Guam.)

photo by stjohnschool
 

10 comments:

patsyann@sonic.net said...

I love this, Barbara. You paint a perfect picture of two girls trapped in a situation not of their choosing and how they managed to turn it around in their favor. I can't wait to read your book on growing up in Guam.
Patsy

barb bits said...

Thanks, Patsy. I can't wait to have you read my book. It's coming along, slow but sure. At first I tried to write all poetry, but then the stories explain so much more. That's where the poems come from.

Ms. Wack Sense (known also as Christina Julian) said...

Ahh, as a recovering catholic school girl myself I can relate. Love these guam pieces!
Chritina

barb bits said...

Thanks, Christina. I guess you can never get this stuff out of your system, leaves quite an impression on a person.

barb bits said...


Thanks to Leonore for this comment sent in an email.

AMAZING!! KEEP IT UP! I love these Guam memories both in prose and in poetry! xxoo Leonore (on rattlesnake hill)

barb bits said...

Even a Catholic girl in Catholic school spells trouble. we should compare nun stories. Do a side-by-side...

This comment from Donna in an email. Thanks. At the time I was very intimidated by the nuns. Those long black robes, very serious.

Laura McHale Holland said...

Mmmmm. I thoroughly enjoyed reading this and look forward to more!

barb bits said...

Thanks, Laura. Always good to know you're a fan. You inspire me to keep publishing on my blog. I just finished reading Ice Cream Vendor's Song on my Nook book. Superb little fiction stories from your blog. Some I remembered. I enjoyed reading them again.

Laura McHale Holland said...

Thanks for your encouraging note, Barbara. ... Do you want to read from your memoir in progress at the next event at Sisters I organize? The theme is sisterhood, and the excerpt you just published would fit right in. You probably have others, too. The next reading will be Fri., Oct. 5 at 7 p.m.

barb bits said...

Thanks, Laura. Something to think about, I will send you an email.