Old School: Nature’s Jewelry

By Carol McEwen,

As many of you know, I’m a southern transplant. Before my move, I had neither lived nor traveled in the south. I knew almost nothing about the southern states, except in the summertime, they are hot as the hood of a souped-up Chevy after a drag race. I don’t care for grits, drink my tea unsweetened and never say “y’all." 

As kids, my northern friends and I were big fans of using nature for fun. We learned how to whistle with those whirly-gigs from maple trees and we loved the honey from Honeysuckle blossoms. We were fans of accessorizing with items at hand, too. I often made diamond rings or even a bracelet from the “glow” part of lightning bugs. Not the kindest of activities, but I’m fessing up here. I did it. We also made clover chain bracelets and necklaces. They had a short shelf life, but that didn’t bother us, since we had an unlimited supply of materials. 

My sister-in-law once bought a lizard at a carnival, attached by a tiny chain to a safety pin which she proudly wore on her blouse. At almost 90 years old, she still smiles when she mentions it. My nephew on the other hand, caught locusts, attached a thread to them and let them fly around, while still tethered to him. Once, while I was babysitting him, he even caught a bird in a trap he’d created. It was a cardboard box, propped up on one side by a stick, with a string attached to the stick. He made a trail of birdseed leading to the box, and patiently laid in wait. Eventually the bird’s hunger overcame its caution and it wandered into the homemade trap, as my nephew pulled the string.   

So imagine my surprise when I discovered southern kids did the same things, but had a lot more “raw material.” One woman told me her brother used to catch small lizards and “help them” open their little mouths so that they’d clamp down on his ear lobes. I admit I was a bit skeptical and thought, “Oh, this isn’t April Fools' Day, but it must be ‘put one over on the naïve Yankee Day.’” But shortly afterward I spoke to another woman who didn’t even let me finish my question. “Oh, of course,” she said, “we ALWAYS wore lizard earrings.” 

Another southerner told how they’d encourage visitor kids from up north to play with Spanish Moss. The unsuspecting kids would make mustaches, beards, or even wigs of the stuff, unaware that mites and other critters lived inside it. Rumor has it they also did something crazy with tree frogs, but I’ve decided I don’t want to hear that one. Oh my, these Old School southern kids had it ALL OVER us!  

Carol McEwen is a reporter for Sandestin Living, Mirimar Beach, Florida, and wrote the weekly Old School column for the Arlington Sun Gazette/Gazette Leader.