TheBanyanTree: I remember where I was

[Monique Young]

26 years ago as the world waited for a puff of smoke. I was living in
Germany with the first Mr. Monique. I remember being there, being in the
small village outside the base, everyone waiting, even if we weren't
Catholic.
 
I'm not Catholic, though my father says otherwise. My heritage says I'm
supposed to be. But just saying so doesn't make it so. Being Catholic
makes me think of my older half-brother the child molester who did away
with himself at the age of 24. It makes me think of him because his
funeral was the only time I was ever in a Catholic church when I was
growing up. I may be the only person who knows of his child molesting
proclivities, and we got around the suicide thing by sticking to the
"accidental death" theory. Which was no more than a theory, since it was
his second attempt within two weeks, and he'd left the hospital after
the first attempt without being released, then disappeared . . . until
he reappeared back in the emergency room. He was definitely more
Catholic than I was, since he had two Catholic parents and I only had
one.
 
Anyway, that was before this Pope. And no matter my feelings about the
Church, I believe that the Pope was good. 
 
I couldn't tell you the date 26 years ago. I can tell you I remember the
outside of the little German restaurant, I remember listening to the
radio, I remember hearing about the significance of the smoke. I
remember the day was sunny, not too cold, though I couldn't say for sure
what time of year it was. I remember everyone waiting. 
 
Even non-Catholics can pray for a Pope.
 
M