Here's another interesting episode in my life: how i got to go to La Salle Academy. This is one school i didn't want to attend; reason -- tge teachers were Christian Brothers like the ones that i had in Grammar School. I never considered myself a wise guy, but the teachers had a different opinion. I had a problem with talking back to the teachers. They didn't appreciate that. I became known as "Eddy But." In my time in school they look liberties with smacking you around. In one, i was accused by a classmate of throwing his coat on the ground. I didn't do it. The teacher accepted the story of the accuser and asked me to stay after school. When the class was dismissed, it was only me and this big Christian Brother. He promptly smacked me around, and i started crying and wet my pants; obviously, i was beat up pretty badly. Here comes a shocker: after he beat me he started crying and said he was sorry. Byt the damage was done.
This is only one instance of my getting smacked around. The Principal told my mother i was a guy wise. If she didn't straighten me out they would. My mother thought oli couldn't do wrong, but the principal had different ideas.
So, in Grammar School i had many beatings bt the Christian Brothers. There was no way i wanted to go to a Christian Brother High School. In the final year of Grammar School, you had to take entrance examinations for different highschools. I was accepted by another Catholic high school, which was not run by the Christiab Brothers. I was happt with this because many of my friends were going to attend the same school. I didn't take the test for La Salle. I wanted no part of the Christian Brothers.
The Principal of the Grammar School heard i didn't take the entrance examination for La Salle. He approached my mother and told her i should attend La Salle. I told my mother no way. Well, tge Principal convinced my mother that i belonged with the Christian Brothers. My mother talked to me into taking test, even though the testing process was over. I went to the school on a Saturday and took the test. I failed it intentionally. If they asked who was buried in President Grant's tomb i would answer i didn't know. I wanted no part of the Christian Brothers.
Surprise, they sent me an acceptance letter. I was schocked, but my mother was pleased. The high school i would attend was superior to the one i wanted to attend. La Salle had a reputation of being a demanding school,scholastically. I was convinced i was not smart and would wind up being asked to leave.
Upon arriving at La Salle i discovered they had four different grades: "A","B","C",and "D". In "A" class were the brightest kids. "D" was for slower students. So they placed kids in classes with their peers. I assumed i would go into the "D" class because i knew i wasn't smart. Tge lessons given in the "D" classes were not as demanding as they would be in the "B" class. I was half right. They put me in the "B" class, where i was the dumbest person in the room.
For whatever reason i started getting private tutoring on weekends. My weekend teachers were tge Christian Brothers i'd had in Grammar School. I could never understand why the Christian Brothers gave me special tutoring. As far as i know i was the only kid in tge neighborhood with this special treatment. My only guess as to why they took interest in me was because of the Longshoreman Union's boss. That was my plan. When i was sixteen that kind of job appealed to me. I knew all about corruption, so working on the docks was fine with me. Somewhere i learned not to be the Judge Jury. What people did to make their money was okey with me.
So, with my plan in place i kept playing hooky and failing to get expelled. Here comes the miracle or luck as to why i finished high school. The Principal had spoken to my mother, and my behavior didn't change. He asked to see my father. As i mentioned i hated my father, and we never got along. So, my father went to see the Principal, who informed my father that i was a smart-ass or wise guy, and that if i didn't straighten up i would be expelled. My father just listened without saying a word. We left the school and started walking up Second Avenue to get the subway to go home. My father was very quiet and when he finally spoke his words changed my life. He said the Principal was correct. You are a wise guy, and i don't care if you finish highschool. That is all it took; right at that moment i decided to finish High School just to show my father my hate was so great that i would take his words and turn them into positive action. So my greatest enemy became one of my greatest mentors. He challenged me, and i accepted that challenge. Mentors come in all different forms. I learned you get benefit from your enemies' words, as well as your friends'.
What do you think? Miracle, luck, or what?
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