I'm talking about hide and seek/spotlight in the park. The corner dairy,
hopscotch, four square, go carts, cricket in front of the garbage bin
and inviting everyone on your street to join in, skipping (double dutch),
gutterball, handstands, elastics, bullrush, catch and kiss,
footy on the best lawn in the street, slip'n'slides, the trampoline
with water on it (or a sprinkler under it), hula hoops, jumping in
puddles with gumboots on, mud pies and building dams in the gutter. The
smell of the sun and fresh cut grass.
'Big bubbles no troubles' with Hubba Bubba bubble gum. A topsy. Mr
Whippy cones on a warm summer night after you've chased him round
the block. 20 cents worth of mixed lollies lasted a week and
pretending tosmoke "fags" (the lollies) was really cool!.. A dollars' worth of
chips from the corner take-away fed two people (AND the sauce was free!!).
Being upset when you botched putting on the temporary tattoo from the
bubblegum packet, but still wearing it proudly. Watching Saturday
morning cartoons: 'The Smurfs', 'AstroBoy', 'He-man', 'Captain Caveman',
'Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles', 'Jem' (trulyoutrageous!!), 'Super d'',
and 'Heeeey heeeeey heeeeeeey it's faaaaaaat Albert'. Or staying up
late and sneaking a look at the "AO" on the second telly, being amazed
when you watched TV right up until the 'Goodnight Kiwi!'
When After School with Jason Gunn & Thingie had a cult following
and What Now was on saturday mornings! When around the corner seemed a
long way, and going into town seemed like going somewhere. Where
running away meant you did laps of the block because you weren't allowed to
cross the road?? A million mozzie bites, wasp and bee stings (stee bings!).
Sticky fingers, goodies & baddies, cops and robbers, cowboys and
indians, riding bikes til the streetlights came on and catching
tadpoles in horse troughs.
Going down to the school swimming pool when you didn't have a key
and your friends letting you in, drawing all over the road and
driveway with chalk. Climbing trees and building huts out of every sheet your
mum had in the cupboard (and never putting them back folded). Walking to
school in bare feet, no matter what the weather.
When writing 'I love....? on your pencil case, really did mean it
was true love. "he loves me? he loves me not?" and daisy chains on the
front lawn. Stealing other people's flowers from their gardens and
then selling them back to them...
Running till you were out of breath. Laughing so hard that your
stomach hurt. Pitching the tent in the back/front yard (and never being
able to find all the pegs). Jumping on the bed. Singing into your hair
brush in front of the mirror, making mix tapes...
Sleep overs and ghosts stories with the next door neighbours.
Pillowfights, spinning round, getting dizzy and falling down was
cause for the giggles. The worst embarrassment was being picked last for
a team. Water balloons were the ultimate weapon. Weetbix cards
pegged on the spokes transformed any bike into a motorcycle. Collecting WWF
and garbage pail kids cards.
Eating raw jelly and raro, making homemade lemonade and sucking on
a Rad, a traffic light popsicle, or a Paddle Pop... blurple,
yollange and prink!
You knew everyone in your street - and so did your parents! It
wasn't odd to have two or three "best friends" and you would ask them by
sending a note asking them to be your best friend.
You didn't sleep a wink on Christmas eve and tried (and failed) to
wait up for the tooth fairy. When nobody owned a pure-bred dog. When
50c was decent pocket money. When you'd reach into a muddy gutter for 10c.
When nearly everyone's mum was there when the kids got home from
school.
It was magic when dad would "remove" his thumb.
When it was considered a great privilege to be taken out to dinner at
the local Chinese restaurant (or Cobb'n'Co.) with your family.
When any parent could discipline any kid, or feed her or use him
to carry groceries and nobody, not even the kid, thought a thing of
it.
When being sent to the principal's office was nothing compared to
the fate that awaited a misbehaving student at home.
Basically, we were in fear for our lives, but it wasn't because of
drive-by shootings, drugs, gangs, etc. Our parents and
grandparents
were
a much bigger threat! Some of us are still afraid of them!!!
Remember when decisions were made by going "eeny-meeny-miney-mo"
or dib dib's-scissors, paper, rock. "Race issue" meant arguing about who
ran the fastest. Money issues were handled by whoever was the banker
in Monopoly.
Terrorism was when the older kids were at the end of your street
with pea-shooters waiting to ambush you, or the neighbourhood rottie
chased you up a tree!
The worst thing you could catch from the opposite sex was boy/girl
germs, and the worst thing in your day was having to sit next to
one. Where bluelight disco's were the equivalent to a Rave, and asking
a boy out meant writing a 'polite' note getting them to tick 'yes' or
'no'. When there was always that one 'HOT' guy/girl.
Having a weapon in school meant being caught with a slingshot.
Your biggest danger at school was accidentally walking through the
middle of a heated game of "brandies".
Birthday beats meant you didn't want to go to school on your
birthday!
Scrapes and bruises were kissed and made better. Taking drugs
meant scoffing orange-flavoured chewable vitamin C's, or swallowing half
a Panadol. Ice cream was considered a basic food group. Going to
the beach and catching a wave was a dream come true. Boogie boarding
in the white wash made you the next Kelly Slater. Abilities were
discovered because of a "double- dare".
Older siblings were the worst tormentors, but also the fiercest
protectors.
Now, didn't that bring back some fond memories??
If you can remember most of these, you're an Kiwi legend!!!
