Catholic Cords What a Nerd

I’m going on 58 years old and here’s one that has stayed with me for a long long time. A childhood ghost story you might say, kind of hoping by writing it down it will stop having so much importance.

A little back ground info first, our family of 6 kids moved to Santa Clara from Arcadia (L.A. area) in 1957, there my 3 older brothers and I went to Catholic school, but when we moved to Santa Clara my parents switched to public school. And with 6 kids and my mom learned early to save every piece of clothing that didn’t have a 3 inch hole in it, she sowed so small holes were no big deal – just darn-it up good as new.

I’m in the 6th grade Jefferson Junior High, I’ve been growing like a weed and hand-me-down clothing from my brothers was pretty normal for me. So when my mom reaches into the bottom drawer and pulls out a pair of 3 year old, belonged to my brother Bob, Catholic uniform, grey corduroy pants for me to wear I thought nothing of it. Actually I remember feeling pretty good about these pants fitting me for a change. Remember now Levys were the only pants a boy worn back then.

So off to junior high I go, get to the gate a few minutes early and am waiting for the teacher to unlock it, going to hit the playground running for morning recess. Up walks a couple of kids and immediately I hear laughing, I look around to see what’s so funny and realize it’s me. Understand I still don’t get the joke, why are they laughing and pointing at me, and than I hear “catholic pant what a nerd”. I try and defend myself, but like most kids that have been bully victims words don’t come quick, or sound cool, and my come-back is as nerdy as the pants.

I give some quick thoughts to running home, but the trouble I’d get into from my mom for that move would be unbearable, and besides she wouldn’t get it or let me change pants and I’d be late for school. So in my head I go to plan B – this is an isolated incident nobody else will even notice. Oh God was I wrong, - that was the most miserable day. I actually had a group of kids that spent the day following me around taunting me with a continual choir of “catholic pants” and what ever name they choice at that moment. They would pick me up as I walked out of my classroom and start right in. They actually recruit other kids (rather successfully) to join them as I walked out to recess.

When my school day ended I ran home changed into my cut-offs and hide the pants. The next day, I wore an older different pair of pants, which they immediately found something wrong with. The damage had been done, and until they found something new to tease me about that was it “Catholic Cords what a _ _ _ _” just fill in the blank.