Sunday, December 10, 2006

Tony, Tony, Look Around


...something's lost that can't be found. A prayer to St. Anthony, who I suspicion is NOT the patron saint for the Lost & Found Department. The actual phrase starts "Tony, Tony, come around..." but, being a dumb polak, I was brought up saying it wrong. I'll be the first to tell you that it works, if only as a mantra that gets your brain thinking in a different direction. Well, I didn't use the phrase today, but I read it in, of all places, a Stephen King book. I have never in my life of reading books written by Chicago authors living in Polish Roman Cat'lik communities seen that phrase. In the King book, the person who utters it is from the Boston area, so I'm certain the phrase was not out of place. I don't have any photos of St. Anthony, so here is a photo of myself and Tony Plichta, circa 1980. Looks like an early scene from GOODFELLAS, hmnn? Still lost, Wayne

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

In my Irish Catholic neighborhood, it went like this:

"St. Anthony, St. Anthony, please come around,
Something is lost and cannot be found."

I guess it was a prayer of sorts, although I question the theological committment of those who would appeal to the saints for things like lost numbers sheets for the bookie.

Whaddaya gonna do?

Charles Gramlich said...

I had completely forgotten this phrase until you brought it up here. But I remember my mom saying this when I was a youngster in Arkansas. I figured it was a Catholic thing.

Anonymous said...

I remember it from the east coast -- Reading, PA, near Philly.

"Tony, Tony Come around,
Somethin's lost and can't be found!"