CHINESE LAUNDRY

It would be great if we lived our lives blemish free. I wish that I could say I did. I am going to tell you a story of which I am terribly ashamed. It happened when I was very young and still bothers me today. Across the street from my Elementary School (the Bigelow ) on E St. there was a Chinese Laundry nestled among a number of other stores. When school let out us boys were always conjuring ways to be mischievous. Someone thought why not harass the Chinaman. So we lined up in a row and ran by with our fingers motioning up and down on our teeth screaming  ”Chinky…Chinky…Chinky”. We would do this until he came out brandishing his fist. This lasted for several weeks until we tired of it. Years later a colleague of mine at EPA asked where I was born. I told him South Boston. Oh he said my father owned a store there on E street. He hated Southie because the kids there taunted him with racist remarks. They would leave school and holler ”Chinky…Chinky….Chinky”. Now this was a close associate. Should I tell him and if I did would he break off our friendship. What a dilemma. I wrestled with it awhile but finally confessed my misdeed. He forgave me because he understood it happened during my youth. He may have forgiven me but I never forgave myself. What goes around comes around