Today is quite blustery for the end of July… one would almost think that it is the middle of November with the winds, clouds, and general discomfort of pretty much all Bay Area residents… I noticed this while walking to a nearby cafe to get Chili for lunch. Yes… chili, the winter food for a perfect San Francisco Summer’s day. Before leaving I tightly pulled the sleeves of my sweater around my wrist, lugged on my giant winter-y coat, snapped each snap, and cinched at my waist the heavy duty toggle thing that gives winter-y type coats waistlines, so you can be warm… and sexy.
I marched out into the wind, feeling tingles of cold on my cheeks, and happened upon a group of children… a whole herd of them wildly pelting colored balls at each other. I thought to myself,
“They’ve gone insane from the blistery conditions…” As I stood there, shivering in the wild winds of summer, I realized… oh. Dodgeball.
Dodgeball is the devil’s work.
Someone thought it would be an awesome idea to wrangle a bunch of kids and encourage them to throw balls at each other. For any child who has lacking motor skill capabilities… this game is a DEATH PIT OF DOOM. Kids basically fall into two types: Outdoor child and Indoor child.
The Outdoor Child
Likes: worms, salting snails, setting thing on fire, running, jumping, climbing
Dislikes: school, showers, napkins, combs
The Indoor Child
Likes: reading, video games, watching tv, puzzles,
Dislikes: all of the stuff Outdoor children likes…
Here’s a clue to what type of child I was… I broke six bones walking before I was 12… just from walking into things.
I hated Dodgeball.
Watching these children, I was reminded of my Elementary school days… shuddered slightly, but then remembered how fun it was to actually have a scheduled break in the day to just run around like an idiot. I take brakes, but never to run around… or draw with chalk on a sidewalk… but instead my breaks include disgruntled marches in the cold to get chili. These kids didn’t give a crap that it was a freezing summer day… they were having fun- well most of them…
One sad little boy in a giant green puff coat stood on the sideline desperately avoiding contact with one of the brightly colored balls. His hands tucked tightly in his pockets, cheeks a bright bold red. “Hang in there, kid,” I thought to myself, then trudged away to get my chili.