"Today Is The 5th Day Of June In The Year Of Our Lord 2012."

It Is Now Post Time.
We're Off..Graduation Day, In The Year Of Our Lord 1964,, forty eight years ago, marchin down Vine St. Cap and Gown to The Cathedral Of Saints Peter and Paul..Yep made it through good Old Roman Catholic High., and now heading for one of my favorite things, a two and half hour Catholic Service in Church...I already had thanked my God, for getting me through a lot of trouble at Roman...a huge fight in the subway, with a bunch of our black classmates, had got a good friend of mine expelled from Roman, and honestly it was not his fault..I don't want to use his name because I ran into him years later and he was still pissed at Spike Dolan...I know one thing, there were at least twenty of us, that went into that subway that day, and when the shit hit the fan, there were three. Fuck it, he won't care, it was Sonny Dillella, Jackie Schoenwolfe, and Myself. The fight erupted in the cafeteria. they kept coming over to our table and picked out Sonny for some reason, and they started bullying every day...He told the biggest one that he would meet him in the subway after school..Lunch was fourth period, word spread quick..Rumble, in the subway after school..I guess to a lot of guys that meant go watch a fight.  The guys that really knew what was going on knew this was more than just Sonny and whoever that black dude was..When the shit hit the fan, Sonny hit that big dude ten times before he even got his hands up, and that is when his friends attacked Sonny, me and Jackie Shcoenwolf (here is one great man, a story for another day), ran into the mayhem, I remember clockin a dude with my brownie bag and all my books and papers flying around the subway, before I was jumped and almost knocked onto the tracks...I didn't see anything after that but shoes aiming at my head and landing some hard kicks..I tried to get up and was cracked hard, went after that guy when here comes the train, I am in a good one with this fucker..the train stops and another dude knocks me down, the last thing I see is Sonny being drug on the train, heading for North Philly, he was still fighting..everybody else was gone..me and Schoenwolf just looked at each other, like what the fuck, they are going to kill him....Jackie says where the fuck is everybody?? Until that time I hadn't realized we were the only ones there, shit man that wasn't even a fair rumble..(remember that was what we called them in those long ago days)..I didn't know what to do, I couldn't tell the priest, and I sure as hell wasn't going to tell the cops..So, me and Jackie left the subway, my brownie bag was smashed beyond repair..I looked at him and said did you mess up your brownie bag...He said I never take that thing home..Sonny lived, because he kept fighting and got off the train at the next stop, and came down Broad Street, we were walking up the steps as he came running down, didn't have a fuckin mark on him...I told him that was the fastest I ever saw anybody punch somebody..He said you shoulda seen how fast I got off that fuckin train...What a great guy, in all due respect, he did not deserve to be expelled they made an example out of him, and the black dude, I want to say Johnson..Anybody that went down that subway that day was called before Spike Dolan and Maloney...I just told them what happened, kinda figured I was getting tossed..., the kids were called out of class all day, and as I heard all the names, I wondered where the fuck they were.  Anyhow, as I said I ran into Sonny years later, and that is one great story for another day...I got my diploma from Roman Catholic, and that night,. well actually it was the next Friday night..Myself and Dave Kilkenny (R.I.P.) drove down to Broad and Vine at 2 AM and got out of the car with beers in our hands and saluted the old institution of learning..that I coudn't wait to leave...Sure would be nice to go back there for a day, and see all those young faces, from 48 years ago..It seems almost impossible that it has been that long...I honestly cannot believe I graduated 48 years ago, man that is a fucking lifetime...I have lived a lot of life from that day to this..Some of its Magic and some its Tragic, but I had a good life all the way...To any of my old R.C.H.S. classmates that visit the Ville...Forty-Eight years man, Carpre Diem..I will post something  I read  a long time ago..I  modified most of it  as to how I perceived this most profound philosophy on life, most of it is mine..
                                                       
Walk amid the noise and haste and remember what peace there may be in silence..As far as possible without surrender be on good terms with all people..Speak your truths, and beliefs clearly, and listen to everyone, even the dull and ignorant, they teach you how not to be...Avoid obnoxious, and ill mannered people, they are vexations to your very spirit..Try not to compare yourself to other people this can only lead to two emotions, vain, or bitter..for always there are going to be lesser and greater people than yourself.  Enjoy your achievements as well as things you have planned..Keep an interest in your career, however humble, it is a real possession..Exercise caution when in business or personal matters, the world is full of deception, but don't let this deter you from the true virtue of goodness that many people possess..Work towards high ideals, and remember life is full of heroism..Be yourself, do not worry about who does or does not like you...If you change one iota of your life's true character to feign affection from one person,., another person will not like it, stay the course, you are you...Don't ever denigrate love, for in the face of disenchantment and hard times it is perrenial as the grass.Remember when you start feeling older, that it is a privilege not granted to everyone...Be strong in spirit, this will help you immensely if tragedy ever seeks you out.., but don't walk around worrying about tragedy, this will only depress and make you a cynic..If you can't except discipline from without, try your best from within to have a wholesome discipline in things that are important..Don't be too hard on yourself when you feel you have let yourself or others down, we all do it one time or another, don't do it again...Forgive most of your failings, they will not mean much in the next millennium..Like yourself, you are a child of Your God, Your Mother, Your Father and This Universe, like all the other creatures and celestials that share it with you..Be at peace with your God, whatever you conceive him to be. Many times life is noisy and confusing, stay at peace with your soul...because when you look back, with all its trials, tribulations, drudgery and a lot of broken dreams, life is still a beautiful thing and it is unique to each and every one of us, be careful, and always strive to stay out of harms way....Always, Always, no matter how hard life gets ....Stay Happy....
Forty Eight Years....WOW!!!