Of Girls and Gamma Waves
Years ago when I went to summer camp, there was a day at the end of each month-long session where our boys camp would go visit the girls camp across the lake. The focal point of this visit would be the yearly dance that was just perfect for awkward boys just getting out of the "girls-are-icky" phase. But the most fascinating memory I have of that visit was before the dance, where we all met and ate in the girls dining hall: half of the tables were for boys, and the other half were for girls.
One of the nightly rituals at the dining hall at our camp was spontaneous group chanting. These usually were something like "WE LIKE FOOD! WE LIKE FOOD! *GRUNT* *GRUNT* *GRUNT*" accompanied by we-will-rock-you style stomping and clapping. Of course, this night was no exception. But after every one of these outbursts, some girls table would respond with their own chant. But these were RIDICULOUSLY complicated, with nested rhyming schemes, and actual stories, and who knows what else. They were also really really long. In addition, the whole time these girls would be clapping, giving each other alternating high fives, making various gestures, drumming on the table, etc. None of us had the slightest clue what was going on, but every one of these girls had every move down pat. Did they rehearse this just for us?
Upon telling my wife this story, she offered to teach me the chant that she used to do as a schoolgirl, and I figured that this was my chance to... I don't know, see how the other half lived? Anyhoo, she attempted to teach me one that began as follows:
Miss Mary Mack - Mack - Mack
All dressed in black - black - black
with silver buttons - buttons - buttons
all down her back - back - back
And so on and so forth. Each syllable is accompanied by a clap, or high-five, or crossing your arms over your chest, or something. But by the time we reached the fourth line or so, we would get hopelessly confused. I'd think I had the pattern down, only to realize that the pattern must have shifted a beat and I was now lost.
I'd ask my wife to slow down, and she'd lose track because she "can't do it that slow!". So I just held out my two hands and said "Why don't you just pretend I'm mirroring your movements, slap my hands when necessary, and I can learn by watching?". She responded "That won't work! I need to get Becka over here so we can do it together."
Now I tried to break this whole game down into some kind of pattern, only to have it completely defy my sense of logic. But I think that's the secret... logic messes you up. I'm convinced that this sort of game is just instinctive in the minds of young girls. So why can't my wife play it with me now? While it may be that this skill gradually decreases with age, I don't think that's it at all. I'm convinced there's a psychic link formed between two females that allows them to take part in these complex ritual chants. If my wife and her best friend were to sit in front of each other and put their hands together, I'm certain they would instinctively relapse to nine-year-olds and completely put me to shame with songs and movements that they'd forgotten for years.
Women are fascinating!
*Studystudystudystudy...*
One of the nightly rituals at the dining hall at our camp was spontaneous group chanting. These usually were something like "WE LIKE FOOD! WE LIKE FOOD! *GRUNT* *GRUNT* *GRUNT*" accompanied by we-will-rock-you style stomping and clapping. Of course, this night was no exception. But after every one of these outbursts, some girls table would respond with their own chant. But these were RIDICULOUSLY complicated, with nested rhyming schemes, and actual stories, and who knows what else. They were also really really long. In addition, the whole time these girls would be clapping, giving each other alternating high fives, making various gestures, drumming on the table, etc. None of us had the slightest clue what was going on, but every one of these girls had every move down pat. Did they rehearse this just for us?
Upon telling my wife this story, she offered to teach me the chant that she used to do as a schoolgirl, and I figured that this was my chance to... I don't know, see how the other half lived? Anyhoo, she attempted to teach me one that began as follows:
Miss Mary Mack - Mack - Mack
All dressed in black - black - black
with silver buttons - buttons - buttons
all down her back - back - back
And so on and so forth. Each syllable is accompanied by a clap, or high-five, or crossing your arms over your chest, or something. But by the time we reached the fourth line or so, we would get hopelessly confused. I'd think I had the pattern down, only to realize that the pattern must have shifted a beat and I was now lost.
I'd ask my wife to slow down, and she'd lose track because she "can't do it that slow!". So I just held out my two hands and said "Why don't you just pretend I'm mirroring your movements, slap my hands when necessary, and I can learn by watching?". She responded "That won't work! I need to get Becka over here so we can do it together."
Now I tried to break this whole game down into some kind of pattern, only to have it completely defy my sense of logic. But I think that's the secret... logic messes you up. I'm convinced that this sort of game is just instinctive in the minds of young girls. So why can't my wife play it with me now? While it may be that this skill gradually decreases with age, I don't think that's it at all. I'm convinced there's a psychic link formed between two females that allows them to take part in these complex ritual chants. If my wife and her best friend were to sit in front of each other and put their hands together, I'm certain they would instinctively relapse to nine-year-olds and completely put me to shame with songs and movements that they'd forgotten for years.
Women are fascinating!
*Studystudystudystudy...*