This I believe that everyone should have a love affair (or two or three) or at least a practice lover. They make life exciting and a little dangerous! They are best when they occur often, are of short duration, and have no lasting after effects. Mine began with sticky fingers in the back seat of my parent’s Buick. (I think it was a Buick. It was big enough for a three-some to push, groan, and shove on the floor.)
My sweet affairs were always on Sunday mornings (the Lord’s day). Life began after church. The other worldly services, presided by Father Heller, gave sweet succor to my parents. But, it was the delicious delight after the services that encouraged myself and my two brothers to participate with sincerity in the religious ceremony. If we behaved, said the prayers, and didn’t hit each other we would get our reward. (I always liked the rewards that came during the intimacy of life instead of those that might be bestowed upon me after entering the pearly gates.)
After Mass ended,waiting in line (with decorum) to shake hands with people we didn’t know, bowing our heads in respect to anyone who looked like he may be a member of The Friendly Sons of Saint Patrick Society, and generally shifting back and forth and tugged on our clip-on ties. ( My younger brother, Neil, and I had Virgin Mary blue ties, while older brother, Carl, now Charlie, wore Saint Joseph brown). Eventually, after blessing myself three times for the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost and saying I have to go to the bathroom my mother and father would finally take us to the donut shop.
It was a real donut shop not the wannabes like Dunkin Donuts with their multiple, erotic choices of tangerine, strawberry, or – a horror as real as Dante’s Inferno – the artificially -filled, atheistic, donut oozing with white or chocolate creams. (We were purists.)
After a ten minute drive during which we must remain complete silent and reflect on what Father Heller told in the sermon, we could chose either a donut with frosted sugar or a donut with no sugar. ( A no-sugar donut is like having the afore mentioned practice lover.) I chose the sticky-fingered frosted-sugar delight. It truly was love at first bite!
I still love my affair with the donut! Unfortunately, at age 61 I am looking more and more like my sticky-fingered lover.
Hopefully, I am still delicious.