I started boarding school at age 5-kindergarten- so in a sense, the nuns "raised" me for 9 months. At 7, I went away to girls camp for 2 months. I suspect this was all my father's idea as mother was still playing the ex-wife/movie queen. The counterbalanace was "home"- a dramatic shift, interrupted somewhat by my father's death at age 10. Led into my room by 3 "witches" in black with starched bibs, I screamed bloody murder but eventually settled down but they could be sweet- Sister Eva once rescued me from a nightmare and tucked me into her bed, took a cab with me to the dentist, Sister R would spirit me out from naptime and we would share an apple on the sly. They forgave me most transgressions probably because father was generous to them. Anyway, the real gift they gave me was a schedule, order and disipline/ rules which has been a bedrock. I was thinking the other day, I may have started my own convent of raising children as my marriages were false choices and husbands absent in spirit or flesh. I thought about being a nun during a college retreat- the thought lasted only an afternoon. I think it was an attempt to escape the boredom of a woman's college and too many dates/suitors. Instead I chose marriage to someone I hardly knew and was trapped by the ceremonies. Sort of like going to prison with perks.
On Aug 3, 12:16�am, gruff <[email protected]> wrote: > Heh heh ... anyone who has ever had to deal with nuns had a strange > childhood. > > On Jul 27, 4:47 am, rigsy03 <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > > I never met my grandparents though I knew some uncles/aunts but I > > seemed to have been whisked away from family as history and tradition. > > Mother left school after 10th grade and landed in the big city winding > > up marrying two very successful men. She invented herself via the > > movies- her version of Hedy Lamar- told me I was part Hungarian until > > she she finally admitted I was half Lebanese. Tempered by French and > > Scot-Irish. She was a riot and also a grief as she hadn't a clue what > > to do with an educated daughter and was not very fair with me > > afterall, but finally, after decades I forgive her and love her which > > I knew I must tackle- she did the best she could. I did better. My > > daughters and sons will do even better. Progess!// Between the > > lukewarm Mafia, restaurant owners, Mother Superiors of Convents- I > > certainly had a strange childhood. > > > On Jul 26, 12:16 pm, gruff <[email protected]> wrote: > > > > "... On Jul 25, 6:12 am, rigsy03 <[email protected]> wrote: ..." > > > > > I really should write a memoir for the family before I kick the > > > > bucket. I have so many tales to tell them that I have tucked away > > > > while being their mom. And the occasional story misses the overview. > > > > Yes, you should. In later years they will all be so grateful for your > > > words and you may even inspire them to carry on the tradition. Not > > > having much of a family history myself, I can feel its absence > > > sharply. > > > > > I think their reviews would be mixed- the eldest and youngest would be > > > > uncomfortable- the two in the middle would enjoy and understand it, > > > > Now- I have contradicted myself- I am prejudging my readers and would > > > > that inhibit my writing? I tend to be very open and honest- or try to > > > > be- and would I want to sugar-coat facts to create a mother-myth? I'll > > > > think about that. > > > > Molly, yes you would. You'd write for those prejudices and biases but > > > that's not necessarily a bad thing nor could you not do it if you > > > wanted to. But it can be good. It depends on how you handle it. If > > > you can recognize when you are doing it and include that awareness in > > > the writing, for instance. But you can no more escape the natural > > > bias your life experience brings to bear than can Sotomayor.- Hide quoted > > > text - > > - Show quoted text - --~--~---------~--~----~------------~-------~--~----~ You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups ""Minds Eye"" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected] To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected] For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/Minds-Eye?hl=en -~----------~----~----~----~------~----~------~--~---
