This week in Anthropology class we're studying Latah. Latah is what you become if you're a hypestartler in Malaysia. Most Latah are women and you can become one in about 5 days with the proper poking and prodding of your villager friends. I'm reminded of Latah in two ways 1) Kitty used to always poke me in the ribs or jam her finger underneath my armpit and shout HA! It always made me jump. Thankfully she's quit doing it because in reality it sort of hurt. 2) My Grandfather St.Marie (Saint as he was called) was shell-shocked by WWII and it was a well known fact that if you wanted to talk to him, you must stand about 20 feet back (like you do from a fire truck) and yell, "hey grandpa, I'm comin' in behind you". He would still hyperstartle even at this and many times turn around with fists in the air ready to fight you. I've heard that he had to be awakened with a broomstick from way across the room so he didn't knock you out.
Could I have become Latah? Was Grandpa St.Marie Latah? The mind does wonder. I'll tell you this, I wouldn't have dared poke Grandpa in the ribs and yelled HA! ;-))))
3 comments:
you were just so fun to tickle, with your hyper ticklish giggle....also, being bullied by my big sisters, i had to take it out on you. you may have been older, but you were smaller than me, no?
I was a shrimpie for sure. Let's make someone Latah!
I totally forgot about Grandpa being so jumpy! HA!! HEY GRANDPA!! (yeah, he can still hear me) Remember all the different juices he used to have?
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