I consider myself to be a fairly cultured individual. I have traveled western Europe and South America. I am fluent in two languages. I am well read in every genre from the middle ages to the present. I know fashion. I know politics. I know current events. I have taught at the university level. You could take me to a fancy restaurant and I wouldn't ask what all the forks were for.But the more 'worldly' I get, the more I realize how, um, *rednecky* my upbringing was.
I lived in the suburbs as a child. Granted, they were Idaho suburbs--but we had running water, indoor plumbing, and a concrete foundation. Know what else we had?....
An irrigation canal.
One that ran right through our backyard. Well, there was that pesky chain link fence--but that was easily climbed over. And once we got over it, it was as if we had our own, private river. We neighborhood kids weren't even being sneaky about our canal usage. Our parents actually ENCOURAGED us to "go swim in the canal".
And swim we did. Oh, there was that occasional dead cat or bird that would go floating by, but that only added to the ambiance of it all.
There wasn't just swimming to be done either, oh no--*we could paddle the inflatable raft down the current for a mile.* We made up a game where we would try and ride our bikes from one bank, through the water, and out the other side. *One inventive dad even used an old sign to build us a type of wake board to play on.
It just didn't feel like summer till we were all mingling in the sewage!
And as the sun would finally be going down, we'd drag our tired, wet bodies out--us gang of neighborhood kids--and head back to my house where we'd drink kool-aid and milk mixed together; and end the night by jumping off our roof onto the trampoline. Not rednecky at all, right?
I feel a little teary eyed now just thinking about how I would never let my kids get near an irrigation ditch. They'll miss out on the fun, sure, but my mind has been poisoned by all those "kids drown in canals" commercials. And, I also now know what's in that water. Still....
You can take the girl out of the canal. But you can never take the canal out of the girl. :)
9 comments:
Haha! I grew up floating the canals too! Grosses me out now to think about it. We had leeches in ours, but that didn't discourage us. We also did the trampoline jumping from the rooftop. Glad to know I'm in good company. And dueling banjos is the perfect song for this post :)
totally grew up swimming in canals, will never let my kids :)
My cousins in IF had a canal we'd swim in in their back yard. The ones in Hamer had one about a quarter mile up the road. Much fun was had!
As well as jumping off the roof on to the trampoline, riding the horse bareback, chasing the calves and the sheep, and yeah, I even know how to milk a cow thanks to my summers in Idaho.
Good times and good memories. Family reunion up there in 2 weeks. Woopee!
Yah....I don't wonder if I was a little rednecky...I KNOW I was. But like we always say, "We're the fanciest people at Walmart." LOL!
We so did the rope swing thing into the canal after corn topping in the summer. Farm labor, gosh that's so Idaho! My husband actually dammed up the canal at the park by our house with our kids last year and I had flashbacks to my childhood and getting in trouble for doing so....so I made them stop before we got caught.
Maybe you should say you can take the girl out of Idaho, but never Idaho out of the girl! ;)
We so did the rope swing thing into the canal after corn topping in the summer. Farm labor, gosh that's so Idaho! My husband actually dammed up the canal at the park by our house with our kids last year and I had flashbacks to my childhood and getting in trouble for doing so....so I made them stop before we got caught.
Maybe you should say you can take the girl out of Idaho, but never Idaho out of the girl! ;)
Funny! My brother swam in the canals all the time! I however wasn't allowed too (not sure I really wanted to) My mom always said I wasn't a strong enough swimmer. I think it's because she got wiser by the time I was old enough and realized it probably wasn't the smartest idea :) Now my grandpa's disgusting fish pond, swam in that all the time. Now I get creeped out when my kids stick their feet in it.
oh I remember those days. Of course I don't think I EVER got in the canal but I watched people all the time :)
I think this is my favorite post so far :)
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