Good Friday when Pops was younger

When me Pops was growing up, the neighborhood was more of a neighborhood. There were more stores, more houses, and religion still had a more direct effect on lives. So much more of an impact in fact that many stores and small businesses would close from 12-3 on Good Friday in commemoration of Christ's death on the Cross.

One day the Catholic school Pops attended had signs made up for the stores. They said simply, We will be closed on Good Friday from 12-3. Sister Principal called on two eighth grade young men to carry them around to neighborhood establishments and ask if they would like a sign for their window. Pops was one kid and a friend of his, I'll call him Cloyce just to give him a name, the other. They didn't mind. Doing God's work got them out of school for a couple hours.

Sister instructed them not to try to talk anyone into taking a sign. Give them one if they wanted, go about your business if they didn't. In most places, Dad said, that's exactly what happened. They either took a sign or did not. Yet one small store owner decided he wanted to grill the two Catholic youngsters, and Pops himself felt the guy was being a little too pointed.

"You kids really believe all that stuff?" the man asked. He went on, and on, Dad explained later, knocking religion and what they were doing to the point where him and Cloyce felt truly put upon. Yet being kids, they weren't quite sure how to deal with it.

Cloyce soon determined a solution. After one too many snide barbs Cloyce said to the guy, "Look, mister, you can go to Hell for all I care. Do you want a sign or not?"'

He declined. Yet he obviously called the school to complain, because Sister Principal caught them at the door on their return. "Anything happen out there?" she asked suspiciously.

"No, nothing," Pops and Cloyce both answered. Dad said he didn't think she believed them; indeed, he was quite sure she had gotten a call. But she let things go at their assurance. Dad always wondered whether she knew the whole story and if in fact they had her tacit approval.