Rather Lummy Me! | #MyFridayStory №378
Some friendships may come and go, but the truly good ones last forever.
I wasn’t sure if the term “to lummy someone” is still widely used in South African slang. So, I checked and got this response:
“There doesn’t appear to be a common South African slang term called ‘lummy.’ However, other expressions could convey a similar idea of hitting someone so hard they become impaired, including ‘bliksem,’ which can mean ‘strike, hit, or punch.’”
That’s a close definition. It might be a blend of the Afrikaans and English words for “lame.” To get a lummy meant being punched on the arm so hard that it would go temporarily limp. The pain could be intense if the strike hit just the right spot on the bicep. It was a favourite form of “punishment” among friends in my childhood — a mix of playful reprimand and outright mischief.
I grew up in a neighbourhood with a wonderfully eclectic mix of nationalities. In the early 1960s, when apartheid was at its height, our suburb was predominantly white, with many immigrant families from Europe. Back then, the South African government actively recruited skilled professionals to help develop the country. Greeks, Portuguese, Italians, Lebanese, and British families arrived in droves, creating a rich cultural tapestry.
My first friendship blossomed at age five with a boy who lived just a block away. His parents had immigrated from Cyprus before he was born. He came from a large family, similar in size to mine, with siblings close in age. His two sisters and my younger sister were friends from school. One day, they brought their little brother along to play at our house. We became instant best friends. Soon, he introduced me to another Cypriot friend who lived one street over. The two were related through an aunt who was also a godmother to one of them. The three of us became inseparable.
When I was six, I contracted rheumatic fever and came dangerously close to death. I was hospitalised for three months, and my survival was nothing short of miraculous. To this day, I live with two leaking heart valves, though they’ve never significantly impacted my life. For years, I took daily antibiotics and had regular medical checkups. During one visit, my doctor told my mother that I’d outlive both him and her. He was right.
Being small and recovering from illness, I wasn’t the strongest kid. My friends, however, were built like Greek gods. Swimming was another challenge; I didn’t learn properly until my teens and remain a weak swimmer. My friend’s family had a large swimming pool where we spent countless hot summer days. While they dived for coins at the deep end or played water games, I clung to the pool’s edge, inching my way around or daring to swim a short distance from one corner to the other. That was the extent of my bravery.
Despite my fears, my friends often tried to coax me into the deeper water. One day, the stronger swimmer offered me a piggyback ride into the middle of the pool. It felt daring, even exhilarating — until I said or did something that annoyed him. His solution? Dunking my head underwater repeatedly until I shouted, “Rather lummy me!”
From that moment, “Rather lummy me!” became a running joke. Whenever one of us faced something unpleasant or frightening, we’d cry out the phrase, dissolving into laughter. The memory of that playful punishment remains vivid to this day.
Over the years, I’ve often wished for the option to endure a “lesser pain” when confronted with life’s hardships. Illness. Business failure. Addiction. Divorce. Bankruptcy. The death of loved ones. Any grief, trauma, or loss could be accompanied by the lament: “Rather lummy me!”
But here’s the thing: true transformation only happens when we face and move through the hard pain. It’s in those moments of struggle and suffering that life’s deepest lessons emerge.
We all have challenges we’d rather skip. Yet, life doesn’t work that way. My hope for you is that you find the courage and strength to face those moments head-on, without needing to cry out, “Rather lummy me!”
Have a wonderful weekend, and remember — be generous! 😊
As always, thanks for reading. 🙏
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