"Tag, You're It" No More

The wusses have won. “Tag” is now improper, incorrect and damaging to Our Little Ones’ fragile psyches. It causes emotional instability, serial killings and harms the liver. (Ok, I just made that up, but you can be sure there exists somewhere a list of supposed ill effects this ancient playground game causes.)

Didn’t do me any harm; I got to run a lot, change direction on a moment’s notice, laugh and make contact with the girls (we were a mixed group and not a “girls are icky, boys have cooties” bunch of friends). Well, I think one guy did have cooties.

Anyway, somebody had to lose and now that’s frowned upon because Those Who Have Nothing To Do But Find Problems feel it might cause problems. I think competition is good; isn’t that what we do in the business world? In pro sports?

At home, we used to play baseball in the street without keeping score, but that was different; the object was to have fun and nobody cared about balls and strikes, homeruns and who did the best. Even the baselines weren’t uniform: home to first might have been “x” feet, to second would be “x+” feet and to third maybe “x-“ feet. Back to home would take care of itself.

But “tag” ended when the recess bell rang. You went back to the classroom and the competition stayed out on the playground. There would be something else the next day, whatever it would be, and nobody cared. Until now.