 | Paula  |
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At school, I strove for perfection in my studies, in sports, and religion and I excelled in all. In my religion, I was as steadfast as a little brown shirt. At school we had bomb drills once or twice a week. The Cold War was in full tilt, then. We kids really didn’t understand it, or why the priests held mock demonstrations, posing as communists and hurling questions and threats to see if we would denounce our faith under pressure.
“Are you children strong enough to defend your faith, even if you were hurt, even onto death?”
“Yes Father.” the class would answer, in unison. The Franciscans sternly lined up in front of the classroom, and hurled questions and simulated threats at each of us, just as the communist would most certainly do, if they took over our country.
“They will try to take our faith away by scaring or torturing us. Remember this, in the name of God the Father Almighty.”
“Yes Father.” We children countered the verbal attacks from the priests, usually, with one robotic refrain. "I am a Roman Catholic and I am willing to die for Jesus and my faith." To me, these episodes were very frightening. I knew words like Russia, Cold War, bomb shelters and such. My family kept a large stock of canned goods and water in our basement, just in case the Russians came. Once in a while we went down there when we heard a siren.
After a long day filled with eclectic activity at school, sleep was welcomed. Bed time, was at nine o’clock, sharp, unless, there was an abundance of homework. After my prayers, I would climb into bed and close my eyes, waiting for what would surely come. On a wave of midnight blue came the stars, swirling round and round, until, after a spell, came coalescing images of colorful toys, tiny planets, and clown's faces drifting about with the stars. Just as if Joan Miro and Vincent van Gogh were playing together in my imagination, ever so patient, until I made my decision on a dream for the night. That is, if, I stayed awake long enough.
I had two dreams that I chose from. The first dream was of me as a most beautiful singer up on a stage, with dramatic makeup, blond hair, and dressed in a bejeweled gown. I would sing in the purist soprano, as everyone applauded in adoration. However, I was not only the beautiful songstress. I was the camera filming her.
The second dream was my favorite. In it, I was the Christ child and I was very poor. My hair was a tousled dirty blond, and I wore a short course toga and wore no shoes. I lived in a small adobe house without windows, and surrounded by desert. My mother, Mary, wore a veil and was always in the kitchen and I would do tasks for her, like sweeping and fetching water. She would look upon me and smile. Either dream, lulled me into a deep, contented sleep.
| | wolfwitch  Wolf Witch |
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| | Paula Paula Servetti |
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| | Paula Paula Servetti |
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| | scott  Kenneth s cornwall |
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| | Paula Paula Servetti |
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