Collective Guilt

The lure of the woods lies in the magic of the unknown becoming knowable; the discovery for the self of nature’s wonders. Parents who want to shelter their children often make up stories about monsters to be found in the woods by disobedient children. Some of these stories are true.

Sasebo was built around a natural harbor formed by the rising volcanic mountains. Throughout the town were many pockets of land too steep, too rugged to make houses or streets. We called these areas “the woods” and loved to go exploring. The Japanese parents told their children to stay out of the woods because of the nasty Americans. The American parents told their children to stay out of the woods because of the nasty Japanese. They both described a horrible toy, a metal cylinder about a foot long with fins at one end. As we compared notes, all of us children decided that they were really some sort of magical toy that our parents did not want us to find.

lure of the woods / holding the forbidden / discoveries

I learned many things from my time in the woods. Although I never found one of the magic toys, I do know two boys who did. During the war the Americans had dropped many bomblets designed to put holes into a house or road. Most of them exploded on impact – some did not. These were the metal cylinders, or magic toys, we were warned about. Two boys from my school found one and picked it up. In an attempt to discover the magic they began turning it over, spinning it, and eventually, playing catch with it. No magic. Disappointed, they decided to bring it to school the next day and started for home. One boy tripped and fell, dropping the cylinder onto a rock. The fall released the magic.

He lost one arm, his friend a hand. / bloody hands / revealing our collective guilt

As a parent I took my children into the woods with me. I wanted them to discover the true magic and not be bound by fear. I wanted them to shed the collective mistrust of the unknown.