50 years since graduation - Reflections on High School

I was one of two 8^th Graders who made the Diocesan HS, Bishop McDonald’s, but choose to go to Our Lady of Wisdom Academy instead for a couple of reasons.  My cousin, Nancy, who lived in the house next door, was already a freshman at Wisdom so my family was familiar with the school.  But I believe the primary reason I went to OLWA was because my father considered a subway ride into the bowels of Brooklyn much too dangerous for his “little girl”.   My parents assumed that taking a bus in the opposite direction - out towards Queens – would be a much safer option.    So in September 1958, dressed to the gills in nylons, some sort of pre-historic girdle, bobby socks, navy blue and white saddle shoes, long sleeved white blouse, navy blue jumper, navy blue blazer with the OLWA patch sewn securely on the left side, I began my high school experience in a very interesting, multi-windowed, albeit ancient, drafty one-story structure known as Room 110.

At the time, I was 13 years old, my figure was still rather one dimensional, and I thought I was much “too tall” therefore I slouched a bit in order to compensate.    I suffered from adolescent acne, and a bad perm; I felt awkward and out of place. 

In the fog of old recollections, there are a few clearer snapshots.  On the momentous occasion of our 50^th year anniversary of High School graduation, I jotted down a few.  Maybe you can relate to one or two.

·         I vividly recall raising my hand, and standing by the side of my desk in Room 110 as I asked a question in an attempt to clarify a  document of faith that had just been presented by our Religion Instructor, Sister So and So.   I felt stung, shocked and embarrassed as I was told, “Isn’t that what I just said?   Interesting though, I’m still asking for clarifications and I’m still being reprimanded.   Some things about a person never change.

I remember:

·          our ultra modest skirted gym suits with attached pantaloons and taking forever to stitch my name, Mary Beth Fries, across the back.  On nice weather days, my classmates and I would cross the street to a rather small, chain-linked enclosed outdoor recreation area for gym class.  Sometimes cars would have to stop to let us finish crossing and occasionally we would receive a wolf-whistle or two.   Realizing what our gym suits looked like, I often wondered if the wolves were simply being sarcastic.

·         taking massive amounts of written notes as the facts and figures flowed from the mouth of efficient Miss Rose Culligan in American History class.  I hardly ever looked over the notes again except in the brief cramming session before a major exam.

·         in sophomore year, sweet and gentle Sister Ancilla coming over to my desk and quietly telling me to keep my mouth still while I was reading to myself.  I never forgot that bit of simple advice and, to this day, I occasionally think of Sister Ancilla as I sit alone and read.

·         I absolutely loved Algebra and Geometry and I wished I could one day be a High School math teacher.   Sadly thinking that my only real choices were nun, teacher (but certainly not Math), nurse or secretary.   

·         feelings of total dread and isolation on the bus trip to Litchfield, Connecticut and coming quickly to the conclusion that I could definitely cross off “nun” from my mental list of life’s choices.   Feeling guilty for feeling this way and thinking that becoming a nurse would somehow make it up to God.

·          going through a brief crush on an upper classmen (or should I say classwomen) on the basketball team and then realizing I liked men better.   I later was relieved when I learned in an Intro to Psychology course that same sex attractions are a normal developmental stage.   

·         walking downstairs to a crowded, partially underground area containing our metal lockers.

·         changing clothes behind the stage curtains before and after gym.

·         the wonderful feeling of “belonging” as I developed special friendships with some lovely young ladies in my class – Linda Giarratano, Phyllis Fragale, Susan Bellamacina.  Thanks you Special Friends, it was so great to feel accepted by you.

·         sitting in the lunchroom with these new found friends and purposely securing a table at the end of a row so I could check out the returning trays to see if any interesting- looking leftover food items were up for grabs.  These new found friends put up with a lot of embarrassment by association. 

·         attending dances at other High Schools with Louise Andrison and lamenting that OLWA had none.

·         during a school retreat in the chapel, standing in line for confession behind Louise Cola as we rehearsed together how we would verbalize our sins to the priest.    I remember admiring her and thinking she had “better” sins than mine.

·         fearing that I might be greeted by only one corsage on my desk as I walked into class on the morning of my birthday.  Do you remember those interesting, creative corsages that were decorated with certain objects (tootsie roll pops , sugar cubes, Bolooka Bubble Gum, dog biscuits, etc.) depending on your age. 

to be continued...... Reflections on HS