Sliding on the Banisters

        With so many boys in the dormitory it was quite a feat to keep everything clean.  Each boy had age appropriate chores to perform.  In addition to dormitory chores some of the older children helped with other activities at the orphanage such as working in the kitchen or the orphanage laundry.  But I enjoyed my assigned chores tremendously.  I was responsible to sweep the stairs from our second story down to the first floor.   I was also responsible to polish the banisters. 

        Now this might seem a mundane activity but it was perhaps one of the most important chores in the dormitory.  The banisters were made of a dark stained wood and curved around at the bottom instead of having a finial at the base.  They were on top of concrete sides and ran the full length of the stairs.  They offered an irresistible temptation and were perfect for sliding down.    No self-respecting boy, unless he was in the presence of his dorm nun, would ever walk down the stairs.  Instead we would mount the banister and slide down to the landing at breakneck speed onto the landing.

        As a young and unskilled boy I would straddle the banister and slide down backwards.  But I soon joined the ranks of true banister pilots by learning to sit side-saddled facing the bottom of the stairs.  This allowed me to go even faster and land on my feet.  To a boy this was as good as flying.