You either sang the title or you were a bit perplexed by it, either way it struck a cord and got you reading. Remember having recess in elementary school? Remember wearing "cute girl clothes" to school EVERY. SINGLE. DAY.!? (My mom was/is a seamstress. I wore cute dresses errrrrrrday!! (Another story for another time.) Anyway, during recess you either hurriedly ran to get a swing, jumped rope, or crowded around in a circle to play those singing, hand slapping games with your girl friends. In those circles you played Slide, Have a Coke & A Smile, Down in the Valley and the nameless one, which I can only remember a portion of the rhyme, and it goes: I like a colored boy and he likes me. So, stand back white boy, you don't shine, I got a colored boy who'll beat your behind. Last night, night before, I met my boyfriend at the candy store. He bought me ice-cream, he bought me cake. Took me home with a stomach ache. ....... See that house on top of the hill? That's where me and my baby gonna live......etc. Hopefully, you know the rest of the rhyme and the prelude to my portion of it. Some of you young folks are in a daze right now. It's ok. I'm getting to the point.
Singing those songs as 7-10 year old girls, we knew nothing of their real meaning. We weren't mannish, just mimicking what our older friends and sisters and cousins did. We didn't know the deep connotations of those songs hinted at or referred to sex and a surprise pregnancy. As an adult singing those recess rhymes, I now know the juxtaposition of the words and my actions, and have applied my real life experiences and understandings to those rhymes. I have liked a few colored boys; white ones too. I had a surprise pregnancy. No, it wasn't because of those rhymes. It was because I was curious and, as my Grandma Loretta would say, "hot in the ass"! I was told better. I knew better. But, consequently, I did what my body responded to. Most of us have been there. Young and wild and wanting to do what everyone else is doing (so you think). My real life story is beyond the playground. It is beyond the skipping and hop-scotch, the dancing and double-dutch. I went to the candy store (with a colored boy) and it was sweet. Would I change any of it? Nope! Not one thing!
This isn't the end of this story. There is plenty more. Stay tuned.
Love,
Deranecque
Love the pic and the reflection . It worked out well because it‘s not about what people think , it’s about what GOD said.
Exactly! He blessed me with His gifts.