I grew up thinking everyone had a better life than mine; mainly because we didn’t have a lot of money. Mom kept our clothes clean but there was nothing pink and frilly in my closet. Many years later, I looked back and realized I had something better than money…

When you grow up in a small town, it is likely that you will know your neighbors, most of whom have at least some kids your age and we became FRIENDS (better than money) - LET THE FUN BEGIN!! Small town kids know how to have fun just goofing around (did you ever play “pull my finger” ??) Everything was funny - even the simple games we played - mostly because our games were not about winning. We just loved being together! Our simple games were full of joking and laughter - just hanging together!!

Well, a day came that was a bit slow. My best bud Kendra came over but, as pre-teens, we were too young to drive, and not cool enough to hang with our older siblings! Summer days were not as fun as summer evenings; days were spent hanging with your BFF looking for pop bottles so you can trade them in for penny candy at the neighborhood grocery store. Evenings were better - catching June bugs under the street lights, playing tag or Red Rover until time to go home. You can only make so many prank phone calls (fun fun fun!) so you have to get creative in the entertainment process!

One summer Kendra’s cousin, Robbie from Tulsa came to spend a week. All of us were hanging out at Wynette’s house who lived across the street from one of the cutest boys in town. Kendra’s cousin wanted to meet him. So rather than geek out and just introduce them (who does that??), we planned the perfect prank!!

We pretended that cousin Robbie was deaf and both Kendra and Wynette pretended they knew how to use sign language with her. We got the cute neighbor to come over, and we were talking about Robbie and asking the neighbor leading questions like “do you think she is cute” and “would you go out with her?” etc!! He answered freely thinking she couldn’t hear him. Robbie was a very good actor! No doubt Kendra and Wynette would have been rolling in the grass laughing but Robbie played it cool!!

Kendra and Wynette intermixed their sign language with some pretty exaggerated hand gestures. It was all going so well until Kendra got so caught up in making up her signs that she made a “sign” straight out of the Three Stooges! It was one commonly made by Curly!! Needless to say we were busted and the cute neighbor got up and walked away. I’m pretty sure he never spoke to Kendra and Wynette again although they could swear they heard him laughing quietly as he was sprinting across the street!!

Years later Kendra said she laughed as she was reminded of this childhood prank while attending a real Sign Language class at Tulsa University with her BFF Wynette. She was now married with twins who were actually deaf. We taught the twins “3 Stooges” signs!!

What was YOUR growing up like?!