The Sun:Describe a childhood memory.~~
You know, as I get older, it seems my long term memory improves...I can remember stuff from when I was 10 years old like it just happened yesterday, even though it was nearly(and will be on March 17) 50 years ago. But I can’t recall what I ate for breakfast this morning....
Anyway, I have a million stories from when I was 9 and 10 years old. We were living in Yokohama, Japan. I remember being an alter boy...actually I remember how I became an alter boy. Their is this spot in the Catholic Mass which is called the Homily(which is really just a sermon). During that part of the Mass, I would invariably fall asleep. You see, to me it didn’t say “homily” in the Mass book....it said “John takes a nap”. My dad told me if I fell asleep “Just one more time”....that I would become an Alter boy..... so, I became an alter boy.
Anyway, it wasn’t too bad. During the summer, I would have to go to the church very early on Tuesday morning to serve the 8 o’clock mass. That might not seem too bad, except for getting up early....but remember I was in Japan, my dad worked and mom didn’t drive. This meant I had to take a bus and a trolley car by myself to get to the church. Usually a priest would drive me home after the service.
I had to learn just enough Japanese to ask what trolley to take, or what bus number etc... I don’t even think they have trolley service in Yokohama any longer.
This amazes me, because I don’t think many parents would let their 10 year old kid go on a journey like this today...in my own country much less a foreign one.
I think I was a pretty good kid, but i did have my moments of destruction and trouble.....
Again, thanks for asking.