Country and Catholic to the Core

My mom was a high fashion transplant from Florida. Dad brought her from the warm tropical breezes of Tampa to a remote farm in Nebraska after they married. Mom proudly dressed up my brother (6) and me (2) every Sunday for church. Here we are on Easter sporting our finest. Catholicism was in my blood. So much that at age nine I wanted to become a nun. When I turned eleven that all changed.

Here is an excerpt from my memoir In Search of Pink Flamingos from the chapter entitled “Birds and the Bees”:

Tall, thin, blond, blue-eyed, and athletic, he wound up his arm to throw the pitch from the mound, and I temporarily lost my bearings. An unfamiliar tingling rushed down from my head to my feet as I laid eyes upon the most incredible fourteen-year-old boy named Shane. I wanted to marry him… eventually. In the summer of my eleventh year, my desire to become a nun waned, and my focus on baby Jesus and God diminished, while my interest in boys increased. I abandoned my convent dream when I realized getting married and having children were more in my future.

A question for my readers: How did religion impact you in your early years? I would love to hear from you.

NOTE: Amazon, Village Books, Barnes and Noble and other booksellers are now carrying my book. Amazon and Goodreads hosts my author page and I welcome your book review on either or both sites. Thank you.

I have autographed books to sell in my local area or can mail a copy to those living out of area/state. Reading is a great pastime for us sheltered-in-place. Feel free to contact me on my website. Stay safe and healthy.

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7 thoughts on “Country and Catholic to the Core”

  4. Susan,

    I grew up in the Lutheran Church right up through high school, baptized and confirmed. When I started dating, it was always Catholic girls, which seemed to irk my Mother. She wanted me to date a Lutheran girl down the street that I had no interest in. She and her Mother were staunch Lutherans and had an anti-Catholic bias that persisted even after I married into a good Catholic family.

    Once I stopped to visit my Mom’s mother coming back from a date with a Catholic girl, where I introduced my date to her. When she found out she was Catholic, she made an insulting remark towards her. But in those days, one did not rebuke your elders.

    My father-in-law and my Mother were in the same high school class together in a small farming town in Southern Wisconsin, and my folks knew my wife’s family. My Mother grew up on a farm which I think she resented. So there always was animosity between my Mother and my wife until the day she died. It was not always enjoyable visiting my parents. My Dad however, was more open and welcoming to my wife and my conversion to Catholicism, which I was most appreciative as I was much closer to him than my Mother.

    I have no regrets converting to Catholicism; we raised our son and daughter in the faith and both attended Catholic grade school where we lived. Unfortunately, neither are no longer practicing Catholics. I do believe the Lutherans are generally better singers than the Catholics though.

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    1. Hello Randy, since I was raised in an all Catholic Community, I had no idea that the prejudice ran both ways. I am saddened to see the divisiveness that still occurs today. The bigotry seems to be everywhere. It seems you had a stronger constitution than I did regarding following your heart and your passion and marrying such a wonderful person. I feared going to hell had I opposed my parents in my younger years. I’m so glad I chose my path and experience life as I did.

      Thank you Randy for keeping in touch and sharing your comments.

      All the best, Susan, AKA goes t

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      1. Unfortunately, the anti-Catholic sentiment has left a bitter taste with my wife, in an otherwise wonderful, giving woman, who has blessed my life. In hindsight, it was probably a good thing we lived a distance away with my career with the Forest Service. It was my Mother and sister’s loss in not knowing how wonderful my really is, just a servant angel!

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