[Clintons Are White Trash]

You sound like you grew up on our road! My brothers and I were turned out every day to stay out of Mom's hair and we played in the woods all day. Dirt clod fights were classic. I remember collecting sticks and dirt clods one afternoon then picking a fight with the neighbor kids to have someone to throw them at :).

Our elementary school had a deadly piece of equipment that was great fun - it's the only one I've ever seen. It was called a maypole and was a tall metal pole with chains suspended from a bearing of some kind on the top of it. At the bottom of each chain was a multi grip metal handle. The object was to get a bunch of kids to grab their handle and run in a circle then when you got the momentum going you could lift your feet and fly around the pole for a while. Needless to say metal handles on chains made for great thunks in the head for those not watching, not to mention those who lost their grip when it was really flying and went skidding across the asphalt :). Ahhhh, the memories.....

[Uncle Meat]

Our elementary school had a deadly piece of equipment that was great fun - it's the only one I've ever seen. It was called a maypole and was a tall metal pole with chains suspended from a bearing of some kind on the top of it. At the bottom of each chain was a multi grip metal handle.

Hell yeah,My elementry school had one of those too.I was describing it to someone a few weeks back.The more dangerous,the more we loved it.Couldn't tell you how many times I lost my grip and flew off and hit the concrete.

[kcat]

Everybody on my street was banished to the outdoors during the day except for "curfew" when everybody had to go to their own house for a rest for about 2 hours. After that we had to go back out for the rest of the afternoon.

I really miss the big metal swings. The city just removed the huge swings from a park nearby my home. Where's an adult to swing now?

[Cate]

I loved the maypole we had as kids. I think somehow I am smarter today after being flung off of it and hitting my head on the ground more than one time. Also, the great wisdom of my dad telling me not to play baseball after dark and then splitting my eye open after getting hit by a baseball. My punishment was that my dad sewed my eyebrow laceration closed himself. And, he was a machinist by trade, no training in stitches. I can honestly say I've never thrown a ball after dark again.