MISCHIEVOUS PRANKS

WHAT MISCHIEVOUS PRANKS DID YOU PULL?

As a teenager, I learned how to pick locks... the old fashion type often seen in movies depiction events in the early 20th century. This type of lock was often used on many homes in Brazil at that time even in upper class neighborhoods.

Often, houses are separated by a 2m (@ 6ft) wall topped with a layer of glass shards embedded in cement impossible to jump by na short Brazilian, but not by me. Such a wall separated our house from the neighbors on all sides and the street in front. The glass shards were certainly not as large or sharp as those in the picture. So, with a little help of a thick cloth, I could jump it. 

One day that is exactly what I did to the unoccupied house on the left. That side of the house was only 1m (@3ft) far from the wall. The yard, what little there was, was on the right side. Along that side was a one car carport. A door lead in to the house from the carport. The door had the type of lock I had learned to pick. After seeing this, I returned to my house an returned with a clothes hanger I had fashioned into the shape of a skeleton key. This "key" I used to open the door. I entered and began to explore it. The only thing I could find was a tube of red lipstick. On the bathroom mirror, in Portuguese, I wrote: "I have been here." I exited the house locking the door behind me. I then went to the front wall which did not have the glass shards and sad down. A white car was moving toward me about 2 blocks away so I once more jumped the wall between our houses. I was very lucky; the car stopped in from of the empty house. Three people, two men and a woman, excited the car. Passing through the house's front gate, they proceeded to enter the house. I did not hear or see anything else because I ran into my own house. It turned out that one of the men and the woman were a young couple who bought the house. 

This event reflects my feeling of satisfaction in doing something that I think is wrong and to get away with it. I like being "sneaky". Although the feeling of satisfaction is no longer a part of me, I still do sneaky things that I would certainly feel guilty if someone caught me.  

PASTIMES AND HOBBIES

Describe your favorite pastime or hobby as a child.

The problem with the book from which these questions come is that it keeps asking for "favorite". Selecting between the many things I did and the hobbies I enjoyed is an impossible task. They each had their own times and places. 

One of the things I have enjoyed the most since my childhood is listening to Shortwave radio. This interest led me to become an Amature Radio Operator.  I would listen to hear national and international broadcast stations from around the world. I am no longer an active Ham due to space issues. I still own a shortwave radio. But with the advent of the Internet, there are few stations available on the air.

FIRST COMMUNION

Do you remember your first communion? What influence did it have on you and your family? 

As Baptists, we did not have first communion as such. Naturally, there was a time when we had our first communion or as we called it the Lord's Supper. It happens after a person is baptized. For me, I was baptized at age 10. I remember that event clearly. However, my first Lord's Supper did not have that great of an impact on me or my family. Our church only celebrated communion once a month so it could either diminish its importance in someone's mind or become a special event for others. The latter was the case with my family.  Like an Easter Morning service in the USA, we made sure to be there on the Lord's Supper Sunday. 

My first time was probably in Tupã. Dad was a deacon. Therefore, he had a special part in the service; he was one of the men who passed the bread and wine (grape juice in our case). Nevertheless, I do not remember any specific one. 

The importance of the Communion increased immensely when I joined the Christian Church/Disciples of Christ. I that denomination, Communion is celebrated every Sunday. It was a vital part. We would miss it as much as a Baptist would miss the sermon.  

It has been at least 1 year since I had my last Communion. The church with my membership changed its method of serving. I did not and do not understand what needed to be done so I embarrassed myself by doing it wrong. I know that if I told a member of the issue, they would be sympathetic and even embarrassed for me. I am sure it was not their intention to embarrass anyone but it sure did. 

SHARE WHAT MAKES A GOOD FRIEND

SHARE YOUR IDEAS OF WHAT MAKES GOOD FRIENDS

As one who who had had problems making and keeping good friends, this is a hard topic. The good friends from my youth and I have grow far apart. The most recent close friends were those in CPE and in the Chaplaincy. However, my biggest issue is that it is easier for me to write a diary entry than to maintain contact with real people. My old friends just think that they still know me but I have changed and they have remained the same. So I guess the biggest suggestion I have is to maintain close contacts with friends no matter how far apart you are physically.  Call them often; write to them; be honest with them about who you are, your life experiences, your changing beliefs, the questions you are dealing with... none of which I have done. I was afraid of rejection so I was not honest so I lost my friends anyhow.

While I would like to think of myself as liberal and accepting of everyone, it is very hard or even impossible to have close friends who have beliefs, attitude toward life, and political inclinations that are drastically different than yours. This was and is my experience with Connie, my children, and most of my childhood friends. It has also made it hard to make close friends here in Columbia.  The vast majority of people in this area are extreme right wing Republicans.  I am close to been an extreme left wing Democrat.  My FaceBook page is full of post that I strongly disagree with. I have to bite my tongue most of the time... especially with you, my children. Arguing with you is just too destructive to our relationship. As pour as it is, something is better than nothing. I have already experienced nothing when I divorced your mother. 

FIRST JOB

Who gave you your first job? What kind of job was it? How much money did you make?

My family was not rich compared to American... more like middle class.  However, compared to Brazilians, we were very wealthy. It was not necessary nor even acceptable for me to take the regular jobs American youths regularly do.  Furthermore, most jobs available to Americans did not even exist in Brazil... no newspaper delivery boys, no lawn jobs, no fast food restaurants... And finally, most low skill jobs were taken by adults. Nevertheless, for the last 6 months I lived in Brazil, I did have a job... teaching English. 

I am not sure who gave me the job but somehow I was invited to teach an evening English class at a independent language school common in Brazil and other countries. It was a relatively easy job... just the basics of vocabulary, speech, and grammar. 

I cannot remember how much I was paid, however, it was significant. It did give me some degree of freedom from my parents, ability to go to movies, and ability to purchase food, treats, books, magazines without asking my parents for money. I have to admit that unlike Steven, I was not a good saver; I did not have any savings when I left Brazil. 

CHORES AND ALLOWANCES

I never really had chores. In Brazil, that would be lower than what a kid in my social status would do since a poor person could do whatever needed to be done. And we did not get regular allowances. My parents tried to do both but I guess they just did not have the discipline to keep it up.

FIGHTS

Did you ever get into fights with other kids? Did you ever start a fight? Or stop one?

I did everything I could to avoid fights. In fact, I paid off a guy not to fight him (gave him candy). He was not trying to extort anything from me. I was just the biggest guy in the class and fighting with me would increase his cred. That was in third or fourth grade.

Later on in high school I had about the same issue although I did not payoff anyone. I did get sent home for responding with some violence to a short kid who slapped the back of my head in class. I got up and chased him until I caught him and held him by his shirt collar and picked him up off the four. Just then a teacher walked in... 

The only other time I got into a fight it was with a friend... a church friend. To this day I do not understand what got into him. After school I was walking my bike out of the school courtyard to go home. He came up and started to pick a fight. I told him I did not want to fight with him. From behind he put his arm around my throat. I just threw him over my leg to the ground and repeated that I did not want to fight and then just walked away.