I’m sitting outside on the benches at the village secondary school. I’m working with two women on an event that will educate people in our village about the two Nobel Laureates that come from
It is late and the meeting is finally over. I walk the quarter mile to my house and there are four little boys outside my steps. They have strings with some round disks on them. I asked them about it – it’s a game – they fight.
On further inspection, I find the disks to be very sharp. I ask them where they get these round disks and they tell me they pound bottle caps from Heineken or Piton Beer bottles. They make them razor thin and, consequently sharper than most of the knives in my drawer. They bore two holes in the middle of the disk and put string through the holes.
I am somewhat horrified at this and said, “How do you fight?” It was only after they answered my question that I realized they were not going to fight each other, but fight to destroy the toy of their opponent. The object of the game is to pull the string tight which forces the disk to rapidly spin creating a weapon that, by my standards, is too dangerous for five, six, and seven year old boys to be playing with. But, nevertheless, the fight begins. They move their spinning disk in the direction of the other,and I cringe. One boy cuts the other boy’s string. The disk falls to the ground and a winner is declared.
6 comments:
I had a few of these (actually everybody did) when I was a kid in Michigan. The difference between the two toys were that ours had different designs painted on them and when spinning at different speeds would produce various pictures and designs; also, ours were not made out of material that could cut string or the like--no fights.
As with all of us, the first one was store bought but the rest were home-made. Funny how mesmerized all of us could get by staring at the spinning disc; especially the ones with our own designs on it--we did have design wars; the winner elected by who got the most oohs and ahhs.
Ahh, the '50s in rural Michigan. I am so grateful to have been raised there.
Thanks for the memories Island Girl! -- Barb
I vaguely remember those. I thought the concept looked familiar, but I was so taken with the danger that I missed the memory.
I remember that toy they were fun.
I also remember a toy (clackers) 2 balls on the end of a string. Lucky I did not get a fractured skull with that toy.
I remember skates with a skate key (then came super skates, spring loaded lol).
Talk to you later.
Sue
Karen- Again you hit it right on target. You elegantly captured a small bit of everyday life in St Lucia which illustrates so much: The inventiveness of kids who have no storebought toys, the element of danger in so many aspects of life here (Can you say, "cutlass?" ) and the casual nature of society here. The mere fact that kids have time to hang out together, inventing toys and games, and sharing them with you, an interested adult, is huge. Sometimes I think what a waste it is that , for so many people here, there's "nothing to do," but then I observe a little (with your help,) and see that kids are always learning, no matter where they are. Those boys are lucky to have you as their neighbor!
Hey Lois and Scott - these kids are really fun. I have to say some of the things I see children doing make me cringe, but they seem to know danger. The kids are really cute and very sweet.
Sue - I remember those clackers. They were really fun.
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