Play
The other night the family headed out to the park for a picnic dinner and some fun in the sun. The park was infested 6-year-olds running around and playing. Chandler was enthralled. He picked up his big red ball and sauntered on over to a group of boys to see if they’d be interested in playing.
He watched a group of 1st-grade girls imitate Beyoncé music videos, but he was more interested in the boys running around pushing each other. He’ll be more interested in the Beyoncé girls later. (or not. Whatever.)
He casually stood by and watched as the boys ran and screamed and jumped about. He shyly inched closer hoping one of them would somehow include him in their reindeer games. Finally he decided he needed to show them what he could do. He put down his ball and began doing some big jumps off the stairs. With each landing he looked around to see if anyone noticed. He zipped around displaying his impressive speed.
After nobody would take his bait, Chandler decided to take a much more direct approach. He walked up to one of the boys and threw his big red ball at him. The ball bounced twice before landing right at the kids’s feet. The boy happily booted the ball past Chandler. This delighted Chandler and before he knew it a full on game was being played amongst all the bigger kids with his red ball. Occasionally one of the nicer kids would make sure to include Chandler. Maybe it was because I was standing nearby brandishing a wiffle ball bat.
Chandler was pretty content to watch the game he had started but it was always an extra thrill to show off his kicking skills. He even got a few ‘nice kick!’s from some of the kids, which practically made him blush.
I always find it fascinating to watch how a game like this unfolds. The rules are unwritten and really just require everyone involved to cooperate. Inevitably there will always be someone who hogs the ball or decides to punt it way outside of the perimeter of the group. That player is quickly ostracized and the players who cooperate are favored.
I look forward to watching as Chandler learns all about these unwritten rules and figures out where and how he’ll fit into the equation.
