Figure 1.--We also built castles ot tree-houses etc. We diverted the irrigation channels to create lakes and rivers. Here we are in 1943 making a play lake. The local farmers were not to happy about that. In the picture here you can you see that I am wearing stockings. At that age I did not have tights, so I am certain that they were stockings. As this is a clothing web-site, I thought I should point that out to you. |
I had a lovely childhood, despite the difficult times. I really do not recall any specific games we played. Sports were not as important as they are today. Most of our games were out-doors. Our bedrooms were very basic without all the computers, electronic equipment, and communication devices that modern children have. Most of our day time was spent outdoors, where our imagination was the only limit we had. We played Red Indians. Unlike America, I do not think that the cowboys ever entered into our play. There was a German writer by the name of Karl May who had written numerous adventure books involving the Indians. [HBC note: Dutch and German readers have also mentioned May to us.] As kids we loved those books. I guess that is why we plaid Indians. Movies were not very much accessible to us in our youth. I recall the first movie I saw was Bambi and I must have been about 10 years old. Funny that appaled more to us than William Tell. William Tell was a country-hero, but it would have been a bit dangerous to shoot apples from each other heads ..... That's what he was famous for,
besides pushing the boat with the tyrant, Sigfried, out into the stormy lake
water. We also built castles or tree-houses etc. We diverted the irrigation channels to create lakes and rivers. Here we ee us doing just that (figure 1). The other kids in the picture at the irrigation canal were my sister and my brother on the right side. The boy on the left is one of the many kids who came to the Sanitorium for recovery and was playing with us. I do not recall now who he was. The local farmers were not to happy about that. In winter when the snow arrived, the diversions were endless. There was always a big igloo under construction or we built our own small ice-rink or went sledding on the nearby road etc.
Voute, Tom. E-mail message, May 19-23, 2006.
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