St. Vincent's Home for Boys

When my brother was little and horrible my mother would always say, "I'm dropping you off at St. Vincent's."

In real life, St. Vincent's was a home for orphaned boys. In the world of idle threats, St. Vincent's was a place where you could drop off your son when he didn't listen and had a smart mouth.

Years later, when Christopher grew up, I was in the car with him once in the Tacony section of Phildelphia. We drove past St. Vincent's.

"It's real!" he exclaimed.

Evidently, Chris was under the impression that the place was entirely made up just to scare him straight.

I wonder if he ever gets nervous now that Jessica will send him there.