Games of Life

 Games of Life

    by Danny C. Wash                                                                                            

Oh, for the days of Red Rover-Red Rover, Dodge Ball, 

Mother-May I, Hide & Seek, Tag-Your It, Musical Chairs, 

Simon Says, Kick the Can, Hopscotch, Keep Away, Blind Man’s 

Bluff, Jacks, Marbles, Annie-Over, Hot & Cold, Jump Rope, Leap Frog, 

Red Light-Green Light, Pin the Tail on the Donkey, Rock-Paper-Scissors

Most of these games of our childhood were played outside and

with our neighborhood friends. 

Billy would shout, “Red Rover-Red Rover let Rosy come over” and

she would run and try to break the grip of the line of kids on

the other side. What fun. When we played Annie-Over, we 

threw the ball as hard as we could over the roof and someone

would try to catch it. Those were the days of making and playing

with new and old friends, running, jumping, developing our bodies,

personalities, and sharpening our wits dealing with the game challenges. 

And, when it was time for dinner or getting dark, Mother would shout our 

name from the back door porch and in we would go for the meal, the screen 

door would slam, we washed our hands, sat at the dinner table with the family, 

took a bath, and then bed-time. 

What fun we had until time and our age took it away. 

Those golden days are gone forever except in our memories.

What would you give for one afternoon of being nine years old and getting

to play some of those games with your friends again. “Tag, you’re it!”