I always wondered about things.
When I was young, the catholic church gave me an envelope with numbers on it that identified me.
I didn't know that at 9 years old.
So when my mother gave me a dime to put in the envelope, I use to take the dime out and give an empty envelope.
How would they know I figured.
Then I would go spend the dime on penny candy and be happy.
We were poor and I rarely got money for penny candy.
Well one day the church called my house and told my mother I was giving empty envelopes.
Boy, did I get in trouble.
I was shocked that I had my own number.
I was offended.
Who were they to number me?
I guess I was always independent, growing up in the city projects and surviving on a daily basis.
Well, after getting blasted by my parents, I decided "well, they never go to church, so who are they to tell me what to do with my dime".
And I deduced that since the catholic church was jam packed for 3 services every Sunday morning, that they didn't need my dime.
I needed it more than them.
Now when you think about it, giving a dime to the catholic when I did, I gave rebelliously.
But when I kept it and spent it on penny candy, I was happy and thank you.
And people tried to tell me I was sinning.
But I kept doing it.
Until my mother no longer gave me a dime.
I forget what happened after that.
I still had to go to church but I forget about the envelopes.
I doubt I gave in to my mother, I was far too rebellious.
But I guess my problem is, who are these church people that they felt they had a right to number a 9 year old boy and keep- track on my giving?
Why if I was a few years older I probably would have punched them out.