Hoi…..
"What did we (as youths back then) do to keep busy back during the long summer months?"
When I was asked this question from one of our faithful readers, I could not help but think back of the "good ole days" and compare my summer fun to those of my kids (of the 90's). There is so much news you read and hear in the media these days about our youth. Unfortunately, most are not positive.
While I would like to stick to the question posed, allow me this opportunity to give you my point of view. When I tried to analyze why the youth of our island are different than those my "my days", I guess you could say "civilization of society" breeds "uncivilized people." I know it sounds like that old adage "One step forward and two steps back."
But think of it for a moment, we are not too far away from Hawaii in terms of having become a "westernized society." Just talk to the Hawaiians about the olden days and they will reminisce about the times they too didn't have to lock their doors. Wouldn't you agree that it wasn't long ago when we Chamorro's didn't have to do the same?
Summer Fun…….. What did we do back then?…… As kids of the 70's generation we were forced to make up our games and toys in order to keep entertained….. well… we pretty much had no choice….of course money was the main factor as the Barbie Doll for the gals and the radio controlled cars for the boys were way out of our humble allowances…….
One game we played almost daily was the "coconut war"……. This game was fairly simple…… we would divide the neighborhood kids into two groups…… a line was drawn across the dense jungle where as the other team could not trespass……. The object of the game was to select the "old" coconut shells that have rotted away and use them as hand grenade.. umbre lai… then try to hit the other team on the head…. A painful shout usually indicates a "hit"…..
You must note that we were all under 12 years old at the time and really had no sense of safety…. Heck….if it was fun we were all game!…… the only two rules were that you could not throw the coconut shell in a "hard ball pitching form" or direct hit type of trajectory. The shell must be thrown in a manner representing a rainbow or something like a soft ball mountain pitch. The object of the game was to hit the other team member on the head…. The shells were soft so they would crumble upon impact with your head…….
It may be difficult to imagine but picture yourself in a thick jungle filled with coconut trees along with 20 neighborhood kids ready and willing to wage a war of some sort. Each team is scrambling to collect their "ammunition of coconut shells' and are not too concerned with the incoming "scud missiles" of coconut shells….. mind you….there are a bunch of you and when the coconuts start flying…… they come at you in full force…… if you have a chance….watch that movie "BRAVEHEART" with Mel Gibson…. The part where they are standing atop the mountain side and the King's Archer's fire away at will……. Well…..something to that effect…..
I forgot to mention that the game only ended after someone cried (from being hit, of course!)…… we would be whaling coconuts for sometimes two hours and only after an over eager kid fires a direct hit onto another kid does the game end.. everyone then gangs up on the one lousy guy who spoiled the fun…dont' get me wrong…he wasn't the only person to get chucked with a coconut shell, we all got hit…he just happened to be the first one to cry!… The thought of my neighborhood buddies and I walking out of the jungle….. scratched, mosquito bitten, dirtied clothes and that one unfortunate kid with a "de su" (bump) on the head or face…. What more camaraderie can one ask for? It would be interesting to note that we all got in trouble from Mom for making a mess of our clothes…..time to break out the TIDE soap!
We also drummed up allot of great home made toys….. but we'll save that for Summer fun Part II….. I think you won't want to miss that tale!
And oh….. you silly kids…..go back into the jungle and get 20 coconuts…. We're making Ckicken Keleguen tonight!
Esta….
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