Memory Monday

Lately I have been reminded of parts of my childhood/high school years/college that make me laugh. So I thought I would try to dedicate a post every Monday to some funny memory that makes me (and probably my sisters too) laugh pretty hard. The memory may mean nothing to you, but unfortunately for you this blog is about me (and occasionaly Peter too). :) And I may just have a thing or two up my sleeve that could remind you of something clever you did when you were young. . .

So without further adieu, I give you the very first Memory Monday:

It was most likely a nippy Autumn Saturday (although it could have been in the summer) that I was playing with two girls from my neighborhood. We were about 10 or 11 years old and getting bored of Barbies, dolls and the like.

I don't exactly remember whose idea it was--although I can confidently say it was not mine--but one of us three girls (learning from our older brothers, no doubt) decided to play a joke on my little sister and her friend who were playing in innocent dreamland in the front yard. (Do you know where this is going, Maggie?)

We knew it may be hard to coax them into leaving whatever they were playing so we decided to entice them by telling them we wanted to play Cops & Robbers or Bandits or something of the sort.

Of course they did not want to leave what they were doing so one of us (again not sure who it was) decided that force was our best option. We grabbed them and dragged them over to the pillar nearby at the end of my parents' driveway where we had a rope and the hose ready.

My little sister's friend, being scared of what she knew we were about to do, started crying and begging us to leave her alone. Since she was not related to any of us, we felt kind of bad and decided to leave her. But for poor Maggie (my 8 year old sis) we had no mercy. We tied her up to the brick post and turned the hose on full blast. I still can't believe I let something this cruel take place at my own house and to my own sister, but I guess those were my dark years.

Maggie's side of the story insists she ran into the house sopping wet, after we let her go, and told my mom what had happened but (again Maggie's side of the story) my mom was busy with something and simply said "Annie, stop" in a nonchalant voice. And come to think of it I don't really remember getting in trouble for this--although the guilt I still feel today is punishment enough.

Every time I think of this memory I laugh, but with a pain in my heart for such cruelty. My two friends with me during this time both had big brothers and were the youngest in their families--So I am sure they had a lot of pent up aggression from being picked on themselves, and I guess in my mind Maggie would. . . laugh about it?

I am not sure what went on in my 10-year-old head that day, but it surely wasn't any sort of logical, kind, normal thinking. But hey what are childhoods for if you don't act extremely immature and even brutal at times, right?

DISCLAIMER: both of these friends have turned out to be wonderful, kind women--we all laugh about what on earth we were thinking and how mean we were as children.

Maggie and I years after this 'Incident' -- she surprisingly still loves me.