neighborhood hooligans
Growing up with other kids in your neighborhood can be really special. I still remember the first time I met my neighborhood friends. Sometime in the summer when I was 8 years old, I was throwing water balloons in my backyard. Some kids were in the backyard next door jumping on a trampoline. They must have seen me over the fence because I started getting some reactions. I wanted to put on a show for them, so I chucked the balloons as high as I could. I don't recall what happened after that, but I assume they invited me over because we started hanging out all the time.
There were a good few years where all I would want to do when getting home from school was go outside and see what everyone was up to. I think I had a basic phone at that point, but not all the other kids did. So I don't think we really had a way of coordinating when to meet up. We just went out, or maybe knocked on each other's doors if we didn't want to wait.
We got up to all kinds of stuff, but these were some of my favorite memories:
- ding dong ditching random houses
- playing soccer in the street
- raking the lawn and jumping in the leaf pile
- sneaking through backyards as a shortcut to other subdivisions
- gathering around the house computer to go on Facebook while listening to Ke$ha
- learning how to ride a bike (the others were 2-3 years older so they taught me)
- chasing the neighborhood cats
- sitting in the garage and prank calling random numbers (using *67 to hide our caller ID)
- climbing trees and getting bird poop on my hand when grabbing the wrong branch
- eating an apple outside and spitting the seeds on the ground, hoping they grow into a tree someday
The only sad part is I don't know where my neighborhood buddies are now or what they're up to. Gabby, Michelle, Jessica, Maurice - hope I see you guys again someday.