Son of a Nun

Donald Moriarty O'Leary

Description

It took me years to appreciate and a lifetime of memories to reflect, but it only took a glance at my grandmother’s photo hanging on my Kelly green living room wall and within minutes this story started to evolve. This photo was discovered by my mother and I back in 1976, at a vacant relative’s cottage while we were travelling together in Ireland, as told in my first novel “BICENTENNIAL ABROAD: A DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE”! In 1920 when mom was only three years old her mother died in the Spanish Flu Pandemic along with her newborn baby as well as the eldest child in the family. Her life and the family’s was changed forever. Mom ultimately entered the Sisters of St. Joseph of Carondelet to become a nun when she was twenty one, but she left four years later (with about three years of college credit). She met dad, had three “rambunctious” sons and we lived in public housing on the East Side, across from the “Iconic” Snowflake Bakery, along with other great local businesses. My mother went up to Syracuse University to complete her higher education in 1960, graduated the following year, when us three were about seven, ten and eleven years old. Then about one and a half years later we moved to the West Side where mom grew up in Tipperary Hill, and on to Saint Patrick’s School!

In this book there are many other stories of family roots, connections, childhood adventures and travels retold from the vivid memory of this one Son of a Nun:)

Sujets

• Special Interest
• Personal Memoirs
• Interest group (disambiguation)
• Travel
• General officer
• Ireland
• Stephen Ireland
• General
• Europe

Informations

• Publié par: Outskirts Press
• Date de parution: 26 juin 2023
• Nombre de lectures: 0
• EAN13: 9781977202161
• Langue: English
• Poids de l'ouvrage: 3 Mo

Extrait

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Son of a Nun An East to West Side Story All Rights Reserved. Copyright © 2023 Donald Moriarty O’Leary v3.0
The opinions expressed in this manuscript are solely the opinions of the author and do not represent the opinions or thoughts of the publisher. The author has represented and warranted full ownership and/or legal right to publish all the materials in this book.
This book may not be reproduced, transmitted, or stored in whole or in part by any means, including graphic, electronic, or mechanical without the express written consent of the publisher except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.
Outskirts Press, Inc. http://www.outskirtspress.com
Cover Photo © 2023 Donald Moriarty O’Leary. All rights reserved - used with permission.
Outskirts Press and the "OP" logo are trademarks belonging to Outskirts Press, Inc.
PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
MEMORIES: History, Family Mom a Moriarty, Dad an O’Leary, my Brothers , my Children, Cousins, Nephews, Nieces, Uncles & Aunts, Ancestors, Friends & Neighbors !

A REFLECTION FROM A PANDEMIC LOVE
Contents
CONTEXT & TOOLS
INTRODUCTION: From a 2020-2023 Reflection

1.) Home Again -Syracuse, New York USA @ the end of the Bicentennial and it’s almost 1977 Boy it’s great to be back home, for family in particular and reflecting with and about my mother

2.) EAST SIDE STORY: 1954-1963 Looking back at our family’s Early Years living on the East Side of Syracuse at Oak Place and in the "Housing" on East Fayette St. and a young son’s experiences Midstate Market, Snowflake Bakery, Barry’s Drugs, and other neighborhood businesses Adventures and games at Westmoreland Park on the field, in the Woods, at the Cliffs or within the Jungle etc. Westcott Street, Thornden Park, Syracuse University Downtown and Beyond and the other direction to Suburban Park Amusements and Rides….

3.) TIPPERARY HILL MEMORIES: 1963-1968 Streets of POETS, WRITERS, PUBLICANS & RASCALS Burnet Park, the Zoo, Pass’s Field Marble Farms, Johnny Mantel’s Creek, "The Swamp" and Pigs Woods Lewis Park & Little League, Kallet Genesee Theatre, New York State Fair MacArthur Stadium, Onondaga Lake, French Fort, Griffin Field, Regatta @ Onondaga Lake St. Patrick’s School/Church

4.) 1968 Summer, Fall and Onward On to Bishop Ludden High School Fall 1968-1971(through early summer before senior year) School, Sports, New Friends and Extracurricular Activities

5.) 1977 Revisited Back to the Present (1977): Job hunting (sort of), work, life and its moments, friends (couple great weddings with Marty & Sue, Tom & Janet) Day to day, clearly living spontaneously Getting the Future in Focus The end of the year will be a Life Changer

6.) 1978 On the Road Again - March to August!!!Off to Florida, Texas, Arizona, Mexico, Guatemala, and Southern California and slowly up the Pacific Coast Highway. My new home after arriving in San Francisco First back East to Syracuse for my dear friend Dumbo’s wedding via Washington D.C. with friend Deacon and return via CINCINNATI to visit another friend Tim (All three old friends and former college roommates)

7.) San Francisco, California 1978 & Onward Friends & ESSENTIAL FAMILY Visitors Local MAJOR NEWS times TWO!!!!! Settle in to Live, work, play The Mission District (living), Tenderloin (working), the Marina, North Beach, Haight-Ashbury, Golden Gate Park, the Presidio (playing) and nearby great places Sausalito, Tiburon, San Rafael, Berkeley and further out like Stinson Beach, Napa Valley, Redwoods, Mendocino, Ukiah, Half Moon Bay, Carmel, Monterey, Lake Tahoe, Yosemite etc.

8.) 1979 San Francisco: Richmond District & Bernal Heights (living) Hiking Trip to British Columbia & Alberta, Canada-Vancouver, Lake Louise, Jasper, Whistler’s Mt. and Columbia Glacier A "Surprise Visitor" when I get back to San Francisco Back to Syracuse for family visit and Christmas HEAVEN CAN’T WAIT……………………………………… 1980 LIFE GOES ON?????

9.) 2020-2023 WOW…..40 YEARS LATER & FROM A PANDEMIC REFLECTION JOURNAL (March 2020-March 2023) My book "Bicentennial Abroad: A Declaration of Independence" got published January 31, 2020! The PANDEMIC of March 2020, the Virtual World and a "NEW" Everyday Socially Distanced Life with PEOPLE, PLACES, REUNIONS & EVENTS PEOPLE: Friends, family, work and random (HARD TO BELIEVE) @ old and new places, Burnet PARK with folding chairs and walks, Coleman’s "TERRACE" & Middle Ages Brewery "DOCK CONCERTS" then the "TENT" Tom, Janet, Deacon, Margie, Kelley, Debbie, Kevin, Kathy, Bridgid & family, Brian, Dan, Jane , Andrew, Zoe, Tess, Dylan, Donna & Jim, Mary Jo & Dave, Chuck & Kitty, Maggie & Brad, Amber & Erik, John & Kitty, Dick S., Heather, Dennis & Danny C. (Peter Coleman RIP) Tim K., Tom G., Tracey All of the people at Cushman & Wakefield Pyramid Brokerage Company and the Widewaters Company and their continued support PLACES: BURNET PARK was and is an Oasis, the newly opened Recess Coffee of Tipp Hill, Coleman’s and their adapting early and creatively, Middle Ages Brewery with live outdoor "DOCK CONCERTS" safely The "TENT" at Middle Ages Brewery during the more restrictive times, like the "Orange Zone" in New York State The "New" Recess Coffee in the heart of Tipperary Hill The STAFF at all these establishments rose to a higher level during these times as well The brand new Widewaters Company and Cushman & Wakefield Pyramid Brokerage Company building in October 2020 Kitty Hoyne’s Irish Pub at long last with solo performers and maybe more to come (July 2022) REUNIONS: Bruges (Brugge/Flemish) ZOOM REUNION from our 1976 Bicentennial Abroad (OSWEGO STATE Program-30 of us total, 20 from Oswego State) New Year’s Eve 2020 "Kick Off" (8 calls to follow by June 26, 2022) Reenie, Andy, Pat, Sue, Katy, Patee, Debra, Beanie, Judy, Sue S., Myself, Larry on July 18 th and Walter on Sept.5 th .Danny H on Jan. 30,2022 and Lisa S. June 26, 2022. Maybe Mike K., Richie E. and Cheryl B on next call, who we’ve been in touch with Old Friend Nancy T. from Amsterdam 1976 (She recently had her Book published 2021) SUNY OSWEGO 2021-45 th Class Reunion "Virtual", I’m not quite as connected as others (my one disjointed academic year Jan. ’75-Dec. ‘75 and graduated my last semester abroad in Brugge in 1976) Old friend Angie S. from San Francisco 1979-82 Bishop Ludden High School- Principal Leo C., Kathy & Dan G. visit our office Feb. 2020, REUNION talk about 2022- Our 50 th in 2 years The O’Leary Clan on March 6, 2021 World Wide ZOOM! Connect with old friend Angie F., from Lucerne, Switzerland 1982 and Andy S. (Bali & Switz.) SISTERS OF THE TRAVELING BOOK with Heather, Barb, Sue and Leslie Snow Flake Bakery and the Wonderful MEMORIES You Grew Up in Tipperary Hill if You Remember Ireland revisited via zoom to CORK in fall 2020, emails and mail LAOIS, TIPPERARY with new and a 1976 acquaintance from RATHDOWNEY/DUBLIN/ UPPERCHURCH/THURLES in early 2022 EVENTS: United States Capitol Attack Russia attacks the Ukraine Daughters move away, but WhatsApp, Face Time…Technology, but still not the same 50 TH Bishop Ludden High School Class Reunion Sadness of a few more passing’s, but memories are forever 70 TH Birthday for Tom G. is better than an Irish Wake Aquarians, Saint Patrick’s "The Irish" Season(s), Middle Ages Beer Hall "Grand Opening", March Madness, Indictment and "New Attorney", etc.
IN MEMORIUM- Ann "Nancy" Moriarty, a Sister, Daughter, Nun as Sister Mary Malachy Moriarty, a Wife as Mrs. Arthur O'Leary and then MOM
Grateful & Thankful
"REUNION FOR ALL" FROM 2020-2023!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! But for the sake of HUMANITY and SANITY, I want to end this story before something else happens and for some degree of closure for the original reason I wrote again at this time, which was a REFLECTION of My Mother, Family, History and Growing Up ! Starting this in April 2020 and finishing in April 2023, seems to be about right, but with hopeful caution moving forward !
Context & Tools
One of the best and or smartest things I’ve ever done in my life was to record some life experiences as I was in the midst of them, or shortly thereafter in a journal. I would capture moments, places and people with a camera, whether using an instamatic or a 35MM camera and at times drawing/sketching scenes or places. Now on to today with a digital camera or I-phone, but I still like a personal touch with a sketch or two!
I’ve always been a sentimental historian I guess, being the youngest in my family and always very observant and looking up to my elders. I started drafting a family tree in 1983(forty years ago) when I returned to college to study architecture and my dad literally went blind after my first semester. He needed eye surgery for a cornea transplant at eighty years of age. During his recovery after the surgery, I would call our relatives and he would talk to them about everything and get their current family updates .Listening to dad’s conversations with his nephews and niece, sounded like he was that young Uncle Art from the stories we heard and a total character from the past.
I started writing originally in 2012, what became a published book in 2020 and now up through the present with reflections from the past being the main life source. I couldn’t help but dig deeper with the soul of my older self, but with the spirit of that previous youth embraced !
To be back in time in those many eras and that age again, where I was involved or the spirit of my ancestors was not hard to escape to ! After all I’ve told numerous people that whenever I read my previous journals and started to write the book, that I felt so in those moments, with those people and in those places, it was EXHILARATING LIKE A TIME MACHINE!
In the final chapter, how everything evolved in this "New Normal" and how we coped and continued to cope, from mostly my own personal point of view through reminiscing and experiences in the world around me 2020-2023!

My mother’s early adulthood in