At The Half: Summer Is Here

Most of my friends were school-based and they were scattered all across New Providence and even in the Family Islands, and so summer vacation from school often meant the suspension of friendships, school gossip, homework discussions and such until the bell rang again in early September to signal the much anticipated (at least on my part) start of another year. My family had no personal transportation and this was also the reality for many of my friends as well, and so a ride in the family car to visit a school friend was hardly a matter for serious consideration.

This was also not the days of several telephones and extensions in one household, and the family telephone was not to be viewed as a social communication tool for high school kids. This was also not the days of arranged sleep-overs ("Sleep where? In whose house? Chile, you crazy, eh?"), pre-arranged meetings at the shopping malls (there were no such edifices) or drop-offs at hotel lobbeys and other such gathering places.

Family finances being what they were, there were not too many movie dates or dances to attend either. Poet Susan J. Wallace states it so well:

"No dance or movie show / Nowhere at all to go / Nothing but to sit and sigh…"

And to think she was describing the settlement of West End, Grand Bahama, her place of birth, and not just my home in Coconut Grove in New Providence.

We didn’t have relatives in any Family Islands either and so the annual trek to visit grand-parents and relatives in the islands was not a part of our family’s reality. Me and my siblings would sit and wish for a trusty relative to appear on some out island scene who would urge my mother to pack us all up and send us off for an idyllic (in our city minds) summer of swimming, fishing, late nights and long days in an environment away from the stern eyes and strictures of our mother and grand-mother.

We were stuck forever in New Providence, however and so our summers were defined by city streets and backyard activities.

It was not all bad and boring, mind you. There was always Vacation Bible School complete with arts and crafts, wonderful stories and, once these morning sessions were dismissed, the freedom to roam neighbourhood streets and catch up on community gossip for the rest of the afternoon.

When I got a little older, I started my own summer school and had a jolly good time bossing other kids around and bullying many adults into providing us with food and other donations for sessions designed to keep unruly kids off the streets.

Another highlight of summer vacation for us was our regular excursion to Fox Hill. Some years we did this trip for both the Emancipation Day Holiday and then, a week later, for the annual Fox Hill Day celebrations. My aunt, Alfreda Rahming and her family lived just across from the famous Fox Hill Parade, you see, and so for us, just sitting on her front porch offered an excellent window view of all the festivities and personalities that have always been an integral part of the Fox Hill community.

But who in his right mind could expect curious and active children to simply sit still on a porch and listen to older folk tell stories or watch them stop by to pass the time of day? My sisters (not me, I was too timid) could never be bothered with the sitting still business and so for them, times in Fox Hill meant roaming that neighbourhood, standing shivering on the edges of cemeteries, sampling every native fruit and berry available, tasting all the goodies and gawking at all the characters.

Days after our return to our own less colourful Coconut Grove environment, we’d pull out favourite moments and memories of our time in the village, and the laughter and good feelings would sustain us for a long time to come. We’d reenact the performances, portray the notorious characters, recall the conversations, wish for just another taste of the spicy conch fritters and the delicious macaroni and cheese.

For me though, the most wonderful part of summer was the actual time and space to read as many books as possible. Long, blissful days of few chores no homework, loads of books to read (I’d begun to secretly raid my mother’s stack years before) and nobody to get in the way. It was truly magical time for a bookworm like myself.

Nowadays, I believe that the summer vacation months offer so many more possibilities for school-age kids that boredom and lack of activities should be the least of their problems. Improved economic conditions and a greater awareness of the importance of structured leisure time for young people also play a vital role in making summer months exciting and stimulating for children and young people.

A virtual rainbow of summer camps, - offering everything from horseback riding to ballet dancing to environmental stewardship – are on offer for children of all ages and financial standing and are specially designed to encourage cooperation, social interaction and good usage of their time.

Improvements in public transportation coupled with the thousands of vehicles available to families have all succeeded in eliminating distances between communities and so it is easier for school friends to visit each other, keep in touch and maintain relationships even during the months of school closure. Personal cell phones, text and voice mail messages and, of course, the computer with e-mail are all familiar parts of the communication landscape now and all of these help to shrink the size and space of summer months.

In another week or so, the school kids will all be sent home to be with parents, family and friends for what could either turn out to be two months of stimulating learning experiences and relaxing leisure time or two months of excruciating boredom and lethargy. Some of the responsibility for what the summer can become is in the hands of the kids themselves, but considering they’re still kids, much of the quality of their leisure time is left up to parents. Let’s resolve to make summer months a safe, exciting and socially rewarding time for our children.