The Forgetting of Things Past
Having a kid sometimes reminds me how many little things from my own childhood I've forgotten. Recently I thought it would be fun to make my daughter a paper airplane to play with but suddenly realized I couldn't remember how. For a boy who used to know a million ways to make a superfast jet plane out of a sheet of paper it was most distressing, I had to go and look it up on the internet. Then last weekend I drew a hopscotch grid in our driveway for her but I couldn't remember how to play that either.
What the hell else have I forgotten that I don't remember?
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12 Comments:
Hello Lee,
I've been lurking via Davy H (since about May, I think). This post had me scrabbling for a sheet of A4 and I'm pleased to say that I managed to knock out a very respectable dart in under a minute. As for hopscotch - that was for girls wasn't it?
I was going to write something about Autumn today, spurred by the fact that I saw some kids picking up conkers on my way home from the station this afternoon. I always pick up loads of conkers every year, I still can't resist them - but I was shocked a while ago to realise that I'd forgotten how to actually play. Did you take it in turns to strike? Or did one player carry on until they missed?
And card games, I've forgotten the rules to just about everything but Pontoon.
Conkers is another one I'm a bit vague about now too. I do think I remember how to make one though. We used to soak them in vinegar for several hours then put it in the oven to toughen it up and hopefully make it into a mighty "sixer"
That is right isn't it? Or we the only ones who did that.
For me that moment came with homework I think. I couldn't remember how to do long division. I then realised that I no longer had any idea how to use all those log and cosine and sine tables that I used to have to use at school. Thankfully, though, I've never been asked about those. (Which I guess means that, come the day they cut all the wires, then we're all sunk! :-)
At our school you took in turns with conkers and you went on until one was destroyed. Soaking in gravy and baking in the oven were common, but officially 'illegal', practices. I can still make a paper aeroplane too, but like Artog, I have forgotten the rules to just about every card game my Mum ever taught me: which is especially sad in the case of one called Newmarket, which involved putting penny bets on cards as if they were horses and which I remember thinking was incredibly thrilling and rather 'adult'...
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I have the opposite problem. I am surprised by how much detail I can instantly recall from 20+ years ago about how to make things like paper aeroplanes, or the cost of hotels on the Old Kent Road. But if you ask me the name of that young graphic designer who I worked with last year ... I'd have to look it up on Facebook.
Card rules for certain - tho' mostly from misspent college afternoons.
I wonder how many games were specific to your school? Conkers were a playground staple (think we took turns; the cool kids had swiss army knives to drill the holes; for some reason, I also remember standing legs akimbo and throwing knives between each other's feet. I don't think there was a winner - or maybe it was closest without flinching or something). Marbles were also pretty big, as were those card games that involved cars/tanks/planes etc - comparing specifications.
Another was some variant on footie that involved a tennis ball, and a wall. I think you sort of lined up in a queue, with the first person taking a "penalty" type kick against the wall, then the second one having to chase down the rebound and also kick the ball against the wall (either on the move or from its landing spot). I seem to remember if you missed, you had to go and stand up against the wall as target practice - not sure if that was just for the vicarious thrill of seeing someone get beaned with a high speed tennis ball, or if there was some rule that got you off the wall and back into play.
I think my all time favorite game was called "Kingy" or something like that. Stand in a small circle, one foot facing in. Drop a tennis ball and whosever foot it touched was it. You chased people down and winged the ball at them. If it hit back, chest, or head you were part of the chase team. If it hit leg or arm, it was paralyzed. Fisting away was safe. When the second (and on) person was caught - you had to pass the ball between players instead of running with it. Last person hit won.
Also - chain tag (at gym) and British Bulldog (AKA red rover in USA), and a rather dangerous tag game on a climbing frame (the one sad piece of structured play area next to the cricket/gym changing house).
Damn. Too many old memories.
george (Eltham College Lower School - '74-'76)
PS - we did play hopscotch, I think. Rules were to make a pattern of squares in a double-crossed T-shape. Take a stone - throw to first square, hop over square and hope to end - single, single, double (2 feet), single, double (2 feet), turn - and back. Pick up stone, hop over last square to start. Proceed to throw stone on next square in pattern, etc. Disqualified for losing balance, stepping on line, etc. I think if you missed the square on the stone throw, turn went to next player. At least, that's how I recall it... First one to successfully go there/back on all squares wins.
can anyone remember how to play marbles?
Conkers: baking and soaking in vinegar were frowned upon - by me anyway. As was "stampsies" being allowed. I preferred a fair and honest game with no shenanigans.
The drain cover in the picture immediately brought back memories of "drainsies" - played with marbles, but I can't remember the exact rules now. And I no longer have the beautiful opaque and semi opaque marbles that were my Dad's - When I was about 10 or 11 I stupidly pooled my marbles collection with a "friend" and while I was on holiday he swapped them all for some big marbles and some bubblegum cards. B*stard. I never spoke to him again.
Did anybody play monster football? with those rubber monsters you could buy in the sweetshop, a marble, and tupperware beakers for goals.
I'm typing this while listening to a Fox album (remember Noosha?). It's great.
I'll get me coat.
JC: Marbles? No, but I remember how to play pocket billiards.
Boom boom.
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