Chad Love: Slingshot Video

Such is the global nature of the web that I link to a British site to highlight an American video but kudos to Suburban Bushwacker for finding this amazing video of a Mr. Rufus Hussy of Asheboro, North Carolina and his “beanshooter.”

Now my childhood was neither idyllic nor Depression-era hardscrabble enough for my first slingshot to be homemade. In fact, mine was a commercially-produced plastic slingshot called a “Slingbow.” Nevertheless, that slingshot (which now belongs to my son) was my first real “you-can-put-an-eye-out-with-that-thing” weapon. I used it to kill my first Nehi soda bottle out behind the old Super C grocery store in Noble, Oklahoma, my first rabbit and my first (and last) 1974 Pinto hatchback rear window.

For myself and generations of boys just like me the slingshot was a gateway into the world of hunting. Predictably, slingshots have largely fallen out of favor with today’s boys, what with their busy schedules and all.

Truth be told my son doesn’t pick up my old slingshot much these days, being more enthralled with BB guns and survival knives, but I think when he gets home from school I’ll set him down and let him watch this video.

Why? Because now more than ever boys need to know that simple stuff can be cool, too. My hat’s off to Mr. Rufus Hussy, and if I ruled North Carolina I’d make him a state treasure.