BOOGER EATER!

Sister Merici, despotic math teacher of Saint Ambrose 7th grade. Dictator of the choir and music program. Iron ruler of social studies(hers was actually made of steel). Feared catechism teacher for the local area public schools. Booger eater! Yes, she wore many habits alright and well I might add. No half stepping for her, it was all or nothing! Here’s how it is was. Saint Ambrose was a the small catholic school that I attended in Bridgeport Ct. There was a shortage of nuns then so each of the sisters had to fill many positions. St Merici was passionate and stern to say the least. Let me re-phase that, passionately stern! If you drew the short straw and got her for math you were going to learn math, like it or not. You’d get it right or stay after school until you did. I that know from personal experience! If you were in the choir, it was endless rehearsals and church functions. Been there, did that The iron ruler thing. Well, that was something feared by all in the area. The seventh and eighth grade students from the three public schools nearby all attended catecism once a week(religion in class wasnt’ an issue then) so her reputation was know as far as the ear could hear. If you stepped out of line in her class the first time, it wasnt so bad. You’d have stand in the back of the class facing the wall for awhile. Second offence, off to the principles office. Third strike...ouch! Out came the steel rule, the kind a carpenter uses. You did’nt get the flat side either, it was the straight edge that was applied. I’ve seen blood drawn more than once. Some students would literally run from the classroom and out of the building never to be seen again, at Saint Ambrose anyway. Here’s the title matter. The good sister would fashion a ordinary paper clip just so, with a special curve and hook if you will. She would then proceed to dig deeply into her nostrils and pull some of the biggest boogers on record from her nose. Some of them actually seemed to be alive. They would then be studied carefully, held up to the light if necessary. After inspection was complete...zoop ...they were gone. Like an tastey hors d'ovre at a crowded diner party. You had to be there to appreciate it. All of these memories are still vivid in my mind. The booger thing most of all. But as I’ve journeyed through life, the principles, disciplines and moral values she ingrained into us still serve me well. My respect for others, honesty, organized work ethics and through grasp of music theory and vocal harmonies. All can be directly traced back to Sister Mercici’s 7th grade class room.