The Pulp

Pope John Paul II first put on his Pope garb when I was in 4th grade. I attended Parkview Elementary School in Apple Valley, Minnesota. In case you don't know, Minnesota is 50% Cathloic, 49% Lutheran and 1% other. Raised in a Church of Christ, I helped comprise the "other" categroy.

Now, in a general sense, Catholics and Lutherans know each other. History is pretty clear about their relationship over the years. Lutherans, though they would not call the Pope "Holy Father," or anything like that, they at least have some knowledge of the Pope.

I had never heard of the Pope until 4th grade. Certainly the death of one Pope and the assassination of another brought it to my awareness, but only a little. Catholics, you see, were "minnow muchers," referring to fish on Friday traditions. Catholics were to be mocks for their obvious Biblical violations, faulty church structure, and intentional efforts to go against Jesus. At least that it what I understood.

Anyway, it was in the 4th grade that I learned about the Pope the hard way. Ms. Caris' current events challenge was done on a weekly basis. If you answered the question Monday, you got 5 points. If Tuesday, then 4 points, etc. I was in the lead, Pete Futak was in second place. Then came the question about the Pope. This time it was a picture with the question, "Who is this?" It was a picture of John Paul becoming Pope. I had no idea. Ms. Caris made it even worse by announcing to the class tht this was an easy one.

Pete Futak was Catholic. He scribbled out his answer and put it in the box. I panicked. I started asking other students who it was. No one taold. Why would they tell the guy in first place? Pete told me he Monday he would tell me who it was, but not until Tuesday. Then he said, "You really don't know this one? Don't you go to church?"

That's not the kind of thing you say to a Church of Christ boy.

Tuesday rolled around, and I was already down to 4 points possible, knowing Pete had already gotten his 5 points. I asked Pete who the guy was (why I didn't ask my parents I do not know). He told me. Pete got next to me and whispered in my ear, "He's the pulp."

"The pulp?" I said out loud.

"Shhh, you don't want anyone to hear, do you? He's the pulp."

So I wrote down that he was The Pulp.

At the end of the year, I came in second place to Pete Futak. Funny thing is, that was the 2nd time he did me that way. The other time was when he told me current event person was Janet Fonda.

Good-bye John Paul.