P.S. 7 - Stink Pot - 6

It was easier being Public in spite of the fact that one day many years ago, my cousin, Sharon, said to me, “Nah, nah, Na NaNa, you go to P.S. 7 stink-pot 6”. She was hitting below the belt and I felt like a complete and utter fool. So, in an effort to regain my footing I tried my best to answer her in an equally insulting manner. “Well ha, ha, Sharon, you go to St. stink-pot Barbara’s”. Without batting an eye, Sharon comes back with, “You committed a sacrilege, you committed a sacrilege”. I burst into tears and Sharon responds gleefully “cry baby, cry baby”. She knows it and I know it - I’m a great big cry baby – always was and always will be.

Shortly before this memorable verbal exchange Sharon tells me that she goes to Catholic School and she is a Catholic. “Are you a Catholic?” she asks. I think for a second and then recall that I go to a Public School -P.S. 76 to be exact -so it only takes me a second to deduce that I, therefore, must be a Public. I proudly announce, “I’m not Catholic, I’m Public”. This doesn’t sit well with Sharon. She is, after all, two full months my senior and she never heard of anyone being Public. In my defense I started PS 76 when I was a mere baby of 4& ½ years and I was just starting to learn all the intricacies of labels, religion and politics. Even the idea of “community” was a new and exciting concept to my little kid brain.

Sharon is stronger than me. She lost her Daddy, my Uncle Joe O’Donnell, in the Korean War when she was only 6 & ½ years old. She was forced to be strong. Sometimes life circumstances make us stronger than we ever cared to be. I admire Sharon. I love Sharon. After having heard the little scenario above, you might have thought differently. You might have surmised that we didn’t care for each other. Actually, nothing could be farther from the truth. I have been Sharon’s friend since the day I was born. In fact, I’ve always been grateful that, within two months of each other, her parents and my parents created female off spring. What timing! They produced a marvelous thing – two female cousins who would be able to share life’s adventures with each other. From childhood vacations, teenage dances, chatting about first kisses and boyfriends, conversations about plans for our future, participating in each other’s weddings, arguing and debating when we didn’t agree, sharing our sorrows when life didn’t work out the way we hoped it would. I dare say we have been gift to each other and for that I am eternally grateful. I may be part Public and part Cry Baby but I am forever Sharon’s friend.

PS. The photo was taken in January 1950 when Mary Beth & Sharon were flowergirls for their Aunt Margie & Uncle Bill.