I am remembering my dad today.  He did thousands upon thousands of kind deeds for his family and others.

But, I have two outstanding memories. Here is one of the memories where my Dad stood up for me. And, he changed the course of my life.

It was fifth grade. Our class was running around the playground. Right in the middle of a free-for-all, dodgeball game. Michael, a classmate with a kind heart who was always getting in trouble, turned to me. He made a challenging statement.

What he said to me was not exactly clear at the time, but he said it forcefully, enthusiastically, and with so much fun in his voice, I could only respond with a “Yeah!” Back then, I was a follower, pleaser, and a thrill seeker. If anything sounded fun, thrilling, and adventurous, I was all in.

There was no adult supervision. Our class was being overseen by a very responsible, eighth grade girl named Mary. She was the playground monitor.

What Michel actually said to me was, “Let’s go over and pop Mary’s bra strap.” But what I heard was “Let’s go do this fun, risky blah blah blah blah thing.” Of course, my response was “Yeah.”

He left the dodgeball game and ran behind Mary. I saw him poke her in the back, or so I thought. I was running a few feet behind him. And, then we both ran off. Mary froze. She turned white, hesitated, then screamed at the top of her lungs, “You two boys are in big trouble!” I just kept running thinking this was part of the game. I was an 11 year old follower with ADHD. And, I was having fun.

Mary had us stand by a wall while the whole class went inside. The next thing I saw was Mother Superior gliding across the playground. The year was 1965. Mother superior was dressed head to toe, in flowing, black, nun attire. I can best describe her as a 6 foot German woman, who looked like Darth Vader approaching a wobbly 11 year old.

I was expelled from school. Mom picked me up. She was told her son was an “impudent.” She was humiliated and in tears. I was torn between being terrified, confused, and curious. What did I do? What is an impudent? I was not sure, but when it was said very sternly, it did not sound very good.

When Dad got home, it was either an early death or a Father who knew his son’s heart. Dad calmed Mom. He drove to the Church and met with the Priest (As I remembered, Priests trumped Nuns.) My dad stood up for me and said, “My son is silly, immature, and slow in school. But he has a good heart. He is not an impudent. And all this is one big misunderstanding.” The Priest agreed.

The school office called the next morning and I was readmitted. That was just one of the days my Father saved my educational life. Thanks Dad. I will never forget the day you stood up for me. Love, Stephen.

P.S. In case you were wondering about the word impudent, it is defined as a contemptuous person, disrespectful, rude, and cocky. It is someone with bold disregard for the concerns of others. Dad was right, that’s not me.