Priest, pot, pedophile and payback

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Have you ever found yourself caught between the allure of youthful rebellion and the stern gaze of authority? Journey with me, John Baby Boomer, as I recount an episode from my own teenage years, where the conflicting cultures of a Catholic high school and the freedom-seeking spirit of the 70s collide at a school dance with an ounce of pot at stake. I'll take you through the unforgettable confrontation with Father James, a man whose mysterious motives left an indelible mark on our band of high school misfits. No guests share the mic with me this week, but the memory of Father James and the lessons from that fateful night stand in testimony to a time when trust was a currency as valuable as the contraband we carried.

As we peel back the layers of growing up Irish Catholic in America, I offer a prayer for Father James and ponder the peculiar traditions that shaped the Strangest Generation to which I belong. It’s a snapshot of a subculture steeped in strictures, a reflection on the rites of passage that come with navigating the treacherous waters of adolescence. So, pull up a chair, lend an ear, and get ready for a tale that bridges the gap between the sacred and the profane, all within the hallowed walls of a Catholic school dance.

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