It Was Always Black and White A Servite Tale by Paul Delgado

 

It was always Black and White

 

It was June 1967 and I had just graduated from St. Paul of the Cross grammar school in La Mirada. 

After spending the past eight years with my classmates, I was looking forward to going on to St. Paul High School and being with my best friends. 

My hero and cousin Art had graduated from St. Paul High School in ’65 and played sports there. I was sure I would follow in his footsteps and play baseball and wear St. Paul blue. 

But that summer my parents crashed my world and told me I would be going to Servite in Anaheim…What!!!...An all boys school….What!!!

My dad said… ”Look Paul…It’s black and white…you’re going to Servite.”

I couldn’t believe it…What!!....I remember taking the entrance exam…I had a miserable cold and could barely concentrate but was accepted…miracles do happen!….LOL!

I remember those first days on campus...I didn’t know anyone and was feeling about as low as you could feel…Seniors were on the rampage and throwing freshmen into the dumpster! 

Ayieee…I asked myself…”What am I doing here?” 

“I don’t know anyone” I thought and was feeling pretty low. 

Sitting under the canopy having my lunch, I struck up conversations with a few of my classmates, and started to make some new friends but deep inside I missed my grammar school pals.

I remember telling my mom and dad one night how unhappy I was.

I could see the pain in my parents eyes. 

Looking at my predicament, My dad with gravitas said

”Don’t give up son…hang in there…Things will get better.”

Later that night, after hitting the sack, I realized I didn’t want to give up so easily and disappoint my parents, so I decided to hang in there and give it a go.

Another month passed and I found myself gaining more confidence.

My teachers had opened up a whole new world I had never imagined…Great teachers….Dennis Watson, Fr. Duplessi, Brother Tim Fr.Tansey, Fr. Donovan, Robert Cotton, Fr. Gaglia. I was just a young kid but was being enlightened by great minds and skilled educators.

Every day it was getting better and better, but I was still lonely and missed my old friends.

But one Friday in late October, everything changed.

I will never forget, it was 2:30 PM in the afternoon on an “Indian summer” day …When right then and there, the song “The Lion sleeps tonight” began blasting on the P.A.…All of a sudden the classrooms started pouring into the corridors and everyone began marching down the hallways shoulder to shoulder...I was caught up in the flow…Seniors and Juniors and underclassmen and teachers….We were all one…

It was the Servite-Mater Dei game that night and the pep rally had just begun!.

We emptied out onto the grass in front of the school and Coach Dana introduced the Varsity football team to our resounding cheers as the 60’s music soundtrack played in the background.

As I stood there…I realized I was a part of something much bigger than myself…I was a Servite man now and had become part of a wonderful brotherhood. Little did I know how enduring that brotherhood would be over the next fifty years.

Many years later, after I graduated from UCLA, I was having dinner with my mom and dad and I said….You know…I can’t believe I made through college…man UCLA was tough….whew!

My dad lifted his glass in a toast and said:

 “It was always black and white”

Go Servite!