Nuns and Mermaids

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{¸.*´ (¸.*`¤~I have to say, this photo above cracked me up. The accompanying story as well. From Boston, The Equinox Fitness Club ran an ad using this image. Wonderfully creative in my book........The Catholic Action League of Massachusetts told the Herald the ad “portrays a callous contempt for the sensibility of Catholics." Ya know, I hate to say it, but someone on the 'Action League' needs to get a
little 'a c t i o n' and lighten up. Catholics have a sense of humor!!

I was raised by nuns. I did the full term, 12 years of Catholic school. I actually enjoyed and it and it may well have provided me with a sense of humor being raised around people who took everything so seriously.
Some of the nuns I had could have used sex.
Way too uptight. Then again, they obviously took the abstinance thing pretty seriously back then!

As an overly curious child who was dubbed "The Gerber baby" in the delivery room because I was stretching my neck around looking at everything, I found 'nunnery' intriguing. Facinated to observe them every day.. always wondering........
What did they wear to bed?
What kind of hair did they have? Did they really have hair?
Did they wear underpants?
What did they eat? Nun food? Like Purina made "Nun-Chow" or something other-worldly just for them!!!
They were from an alternate planet of prayer. I didn't really think they were like people because the eyes I saw them through, they didn't really come across as 'people'..........they were "THE NUNS". Walked in groups, safety in numbers, like a pack.

Back when I was in school, a kazillion years ago, you must remember, nuns wore full length black thick hot dresses of multiple layers. Wore big chunky rosary beads tucked on their waist that would rattle back and forth when they lunged towards you throwing dusty erasers and heavy soled black leather shoes in Florida's intense heat. Sweating was martyr-like and good for the soul. Pain. Most played the guitar.

That's where I got further confused. Somewhere along the line, after a few too many Kumbyahs, I got it into my head I too wanted to play the guitar. The only people I saw playing guitars back then other than Glen Campbell in his baby blue sequined jackets and eyes that glittered were, you guessed it..........."the NUNS"!
Sister Patril, the Flying Nun, Maria, the Sound of Music, The Singing Nun, the one that sang that Dominque song that continues to resonate in my head now and then. All Nuns. All gutar players. You see where this leading.......
So, I thought that to play the guitar, the prerequiste was to be a nun. Boy, was I confused....

Ones life asperations change, thank heavens! After a magical afternoon at Weeki Wachee Springs, near where I grew up in Florida, I decided to become a mermaid. Yes, a voluptuess water creature!
Again, a sexless profession.
So, now at 47 and neither a nun or a mermaid, I can respect both. I am glad I was raised the way I was, it's given me a foundation. One I often find I use as springboard for the realities of life as the artist I became. Maybe I always was this artist even as a child that hid behind the living room chair making private forts with chennile bedspreads and dolls. Either way, my imagination was alive then and it is now.
I just got to be me.

Pat