Good memory for a Sunday morning - the 1966 Oberlin Assembly.
Due to our still struggling finances, Mom & Dad took me along to our church's 1966 general assembly out in Oberlin, Ohio. Having only just graduated from 8th grade, was NOT among the officially called, but all of their friends were going, too, so they didn't have anywhere to park me. It was take me, too, or not go.
Mim & I roomed together. I was 14, Mim 22. For the most part, we enjoyed the experience. The food was good, we had no responsibilities, and the talks were basically bearable.
Except for one talk on the Dead Sea scrolls. It was a hot afternoon, Mim & I were seated in the center of the packed room where the talk was being held, and the speaker was going on & on & on. So many people were nodding off around us, the audience looked like a strange assortment of bobble heads.
As my teenage patience was reaching its breaking point, Mim leaned over & whispered in my ear, "I'll give your $100 to stand up & shout 'Heresy! Heresy!'"
I admit to being torn. At 14, the thought of $100 for just saying two words seemed pretty sweet. Still... A cooler head prevailed. I sat, hot bothered tired - and silent - for the remaining excruciating 30 minutes. Even at 14, I knew that Mim would just feign complete ignorance. And it was a pretty good bet she didn't have the $100 she was dangling. And my goose would have been cooked for all time.
Still... It cracks me up, remembering her offer. No denying my life would have been quite different had I taken her up on it. Closing my eyes & imagining the scene, a barely in her teens girl rising from the center of a semi-slumbering crowd to declare, "Heresy! Heresy!" Too young to excommunicate, too old to take over their knee!
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