My Life as a Gypsy

WHEN God paints his pictures you had better keepvarious denominations was one of disgust for their
quiet. Look with your eyes, but keep your foolishhypocrisy. This influenced my own religious thinking
tongue still!” My Aunt Lila counseled me in thisfor many years. To her, some priests were
way while I was still a young boy as we stood inhypocritical “so-and-so’s”;
awe of a particularly beautiful sunrise. This was typicalmoney-grabbing clergymen she viewed as
Gypsy thinking regarding God and his marvelous“unclean as a goose’s excrement,” and
creative works.she did not mind telling them so.
We believed in a Creator and had a sincere respectShe also instilled in my young mind a strong distaste
for him, even though in a simple, childish sort of way.for violence. Never will I forget the scolding she gave
Our philosophy of life was that the satisfying of ourme one day. A lady to whom we were selling goods
daily needs always depended on a Creator, God.had asked me what I was going to be when I grew
Hence, we would never think of ill-treating the lovelyup. Having been attracted by the uniforms on men in
creatures inhabiting the forests, streams, lakes andthe armed services, I told her that I wanted to
seas. They were his creations, and we were glad tobecome a soldier. My aunt told me she never wanted
recognize that fact.to hear me say such a thing again, and if I ever did
A further part of our philosophy and way of lifeappear at her door in a military uniform I had better
could be summed up in the old adage:just keep on traveling! She impressed upon me that
“Tomorrow will always take care of itself!”no human creature had the right to shed blood in
For this reason our life was easygoing and generallyman-made wars.
peaceable. We would put forth effort to meet onlyWhile growing up I began to observe the hypocrisy
present needs. With these satisfied, we would relaxof the clergy for myself. World War II was
and enjoy life with our families and the closeknitapproaching, and it became very evident how they
society of our own people. We would use the worldshared in recruiting young men for war. One
to make a living, but beyond that we would notapproached my aunt to ask her to let me join, and
involve ourselves with it. Its political squabbles wereshe told him off in no uncertain terms.
not our concern.The more I came into association with so-called
Life as a Gypsy Boyreligious people, the more I was impressed with the
From the East Anglia section of England, where I washypocrisy of world religion. Young men would get
born, I traveled with my aunt in a Gypsy group alldrunk and indulge in wild revelries on a Saturday
over the British Isles. I was taught to have realevening and then go to Mass on Sunday morning.
respect for older persons, always addressing olderThe fact that they supposedly got their sins
males as “uncle” and older females asforgiven, only to carry on in the same immoral way in
“aunt.” Never was I allowed to call them bythe days preceding the next Sunday Mass, disgusted
their first names. In my later years I have alwaysme.
been grateful for the discipline given me whenever IA Different Kind of Religion
was disrespectful of my aunt’s authority.By 1942 I was married. One day I came home and
Gypsy children are never allowed to run loose, so Imy wife told me that two women had called and
was not. My aunt loved me and kept me busy. Shetalked to her about the Bible and its promises for a
took me with her to pick watercress, mushroomsbetter future. Being inclined to ridicule anything that
and berries, and the next day we would peddle thesesmacked of religion, I showed no desire to discuss
from house to house or take them to a nearbythe matter. Later, in northern Scotland, a man called
market.at our camp and played a Gramophone record for
Part of our making a living was for my aunt and memy wife while I was away. It really impressed her
to go to farms to buy piles of manure. After puttingthat the man had the courage to play a record
it in bushel baskets, we would peddle it from door toexposing world religion as a snare and a racket. My
door among people who had small flower orwife gave the man a meal before he went on his
vegetable gardens.way.
During my early training, petty thievery was indulgedLater, when we were around Newcastle in England
in by my aunt and others in our camp. Hence, Iagain, my wife suggested we try to find these
learned dishonesty, including how to make shadypeople because she felt they had spoken the truth.
deals to benefit myself financially. Once, while aBut shortly afterward we moved to Canada, where I
youth, I befriended a lad whose parents were notthought it might be possible to make a better living.
Gypsies. His mother was dying of tuberculosis, andRearing Children
the family was so poor that they had little food toMeanwhile, I was raising my family. I took my son
eat. Desiring to provide her with some strengtheningalong with me in my business, which was then buying
nourishment, I took my friend along to a nearbyand selling scrap metal. When enough scrap metal
chicken pen where we appropriated a nice plump hen.was collected to sell to a dealer, I would give my
I gave it to my friend to take home, but the fatherboy a pile of his own and let him deal it off, but
made his son return the feathered booty to me uponunder my supervision to make sure he did not get
learning that it had been stolen.gypped. Thus he was trained to make his way in life.
Early Religious Training and ViewsMy wife provided our daughter typical Gypsy training,
My aunt’s simple faith in God always made ateaching her to cook, wash clothes, mend and care
strong impression on my mind. At the end of day shefor a baby so that she would eventually make a
would have me kneel beside her as she gave thanksgood wife for a Gypsy husband. My wife also trained
to God as our daily Provider—even though weher in peddling linens. She would take her to the
may have stolen a rabbit or the mushrooms,warehouses when making purchases so she could
watercress and berries from other people’sobserve how this business was transacted. In
property!addition, an uncle taught our daughter how to
Most Gypsies with whom I was familiar belonged tobecome adept at making flowers out of wood. Thus
a religious denomination, such as the Methodistwhen accompanying her mother from house to
Church, the Church of England or the Roman Catholichouse, if the linens were not accepted, she would
Church, but my aunt had no use for organized religionoffer her “flowers,” making a little money for
in any form. Her attitude toward the clergy ofherself.