In the seven years I lived in the academy, I ran away from campus an average of five or six times a year. No, there were no search and rescue crews dispatched to find me. No, I wasn't the lead story on the local news any of those times. And no, not even a member of the St. Basil's supervisory staff came out to look for me. The reason: I don't think anyone ever knew I was missing.
We used to hear horror stories about the kids who were actually caught running away. One girl actually hitched a ride into Cold Spring, NY, the neighboring town. She was immediately expelled by the Bishop (the supreme ruler of the Academy). Another kid actually caught a train back into the city to see his family. When his mother brought him back to the school, he was "dormed," (grounded), for two whole months!
There were a bunch of reasons to "run away." Looking back, I can't really justify my actions, except to say I got really bored with the campus sometimes, and I needed to see the outside world.
The truth is, there was no where to go. That's why I never ran too far. The farthest would make it to the convenience store/gas station, about a mile down the road. I ALWAYS stopped there, and turned around. It was about a mile into the trip I would start asking myself questions like: "Will someone see me and tell on me?" "Is some stranger going to try to pick me up?" Then I'd start to worry about the people I left behind: "I hope no one is worried." "Maybe they've called the police."
Ultimately, the main reason I never got too far, was the harshest, yet the most realistic of all my worries: no one wanted me back home. I know, I write that so matter-of-factly now, but it was true. If my father wanted me at home, he would have never dropped me off. If my mother wanted me, she would have kept me. When that finally sunk into my little head, it made it easier to go back to campus and tell no one except for Sam about my mini-adventure to the gas station.
As much as we all complained about life in the academy, we knew there was a group of people who loved us. We knew someone would pay attention to us, whether positively or negatively. We knew someone would be there to listen about our deepest, most personal feelings. No one at home was willing to do that for us. No one at home cared. That's why the children of St. Basil's Academy will forever be connected spiritually and emotionally. We all share that common bond.
I'm proud to call the academy the place I grew up, and I'm proud to have hundreds of brothers and sisters I've never met, who attended the school before me and after me.
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