Re: Member, "It's JUST a Game..." 

What WE did, do: Or, in the form of a question, "Just what did we do...?" To pass the time, for our favorite past-times, throughout all our developmental years, and the ones we still engage in, from time-to-time, once again, just to pass the time, in a so-called "friendly game of..." These games that have been around ever since the time of "Adam and Eve" (who were rumored to have first envisioned, brought out, "Hide-and-Go-Seek" and then, by necessity, or demand, retro-fitted, after being re-minded about the "RULES OF ENGAGEMENT"!😟😇😟) like a whole civilization of gamers to follow...EONS B4 the so-called "SUPER" annualized events brought out each year, many of which get clustered in the first few months, beginning in these parts (U.S.) with the spectator sport witnessed in "Prime Time" just a few days ago, which has the wage makers (as in "Average Joe") going "stark raking mad"...betting on what's likely to come, despite what was predicted, promised, asserted, diverted...so much verbs and verbiage (as in "excessive, unnecessary words...") that eventuated in "folks at home playing along" (a popular invite from the game show host, to make US all feel part of it) nodding our heads, as in "nodding off", others grabbing...as in the remote, and others jumping up and down, simulating a "jumping jack"...you'd almost think we were all prepping for something SUPER yet to come...(CLUE)...So, we learned early on how to play games that didn't even require a 'bored' (the word lots of teens tell me they associate with such games, at least until they tried them, find out just how strenuous, demanding, ACTION! packed they can be...) nor pieces to move...just the willingness to engage with each other in a "friendly" game of "TAG, you're it!" If you haven't seen the grown-up version, in the form of the aptly named movie, "Tag" you owe it to yourself, as it will re-envision the term "friendly" and the phrase, "It's just a game..." Anything but...So, they started out simple, simply run around, dodge, duck, hide behind..."Follow, the leader...copy, no don't copy what Simon says..." Followed in turn, after you learned how to "wait, take your turn"...

What did WE do, as we grew: As we so-called "matured" -- once again check out "Tag" for an 'operational' definition, and re-minder of how, at least for us guys, you don't have to ever grow up...at least for one month per year (spoiler alert, clue)...even as such games became recharacterized as being "gentlemanly" NOT! so much. But as we progressed through the ages, games became a bit more interesting when things like bottles and other things that spun (e.g., spinners themselves) were value added, which also brought more strategy into the game...such as "spin the bottle" (check out the old commercial with the "Scope" bottle, with the ap-pointed person having to be the messenger about "their" bad breath😞😝) and other such games, when terms like "No, you go first...I pass...you show me yours then I'll..." "Truth or (triple dog) Dare😟😝😢" became part and parcel of the game, scene. And, of course, how we also, outside of "gaming" (which is now a HUGE pre-occupation for the youngers) simply passed the time...Parent to pre-teen: "Where do you think you're going?" PT: "Oh, just walking around..." P: "OK, stay out of trouble, make good choices, and come in when the streetlights..." (things the grown-ups installed that we initially celebrated to allow us a so-called brighter future, but eventually dimmed our hopes for staying put later)...Parent to Teen: "Where you heading out to?" Teen: "Oh, just driving around...might just go parking😉😈" A parent's worst nightmare😟😡 "Maybe you two should just stay and join in, as we are going to play a game of Monopoly, where there's Free Parking😉😇" Teen: 😝 "Thanks, but no, have fun though, I'm feeling lucky...😇😈😉" So much strategy, now that we look back...

"It's been going on for decades" Maybe that's why they've resorted to Roman numerals...games of chance, then the ones with romance, and the perennial favorites involving posers, the ones that try to screw with our minds..."they're such a spoof" But even in the latter case, when some dudes that were just otherwise hanging around, who had "hung up their shoes" even a few who were literally "doing time" were called back out, to be "Replacements" (another well-named, hilarious movie) and told "It's nothing serious" became anything but, which eventuated in them once again risking not only their reputations but freedoms, including a 'short stint' in the local "lock-up" (sorry if I just spoiled all the fun again). And then there's the "reversal" (BIG CLUE for Sunday, Monday, hence-forth)...the so-called "Family Friendly" game shows that took a meme about a longstanding conflict "Feud!" (as in the Hatfields and McCoys) and made it into a lighter side of...which eventually, to sustain our attention, I guess, became a bit "off color" and flirting with PG-ish ratings...Speaking of so-called Parental Guidance...

"In one ear..." Talk about a mixed message, about being an effective 'gamer' What, with the words of my mother resonating on one side of my brain "Remember, take it easy, it's just a game..." and the resounding! message of my dad, on the other hand..."just remember, as long as you didn't start it, you have our, correction, MY explicit permission...to beat the snot out of them!😁😡😜 And, speaking of parents, advice through the ages...about gaming and such, one more quotation rotation...

"What goes around..." As in the action packed domain of family dynamics, which have now come to include, following the stage of "walking around", "driving...parking" you, yourself may have arrived at the new stage of "Pack N Play"! As in "You entertain, play with the kids, while I attempt to make dinner, so that, if we're lucky, after we finally get the kids down, we can have a few minutes of so-called quality time...re-member we've got to stick together, it's us versus them...divide and conquer...we're a virtual TAG team!" 

"That's the Question(s): "What are you gonna' do...what do you think you're gonna' be, when you finally mature, or at least grow up...Person, Place or Thing?" -- a Game Show in its own right which, upon retrospect, seems to be asking the same questions as the game that is synonymous with the one you are involved in at this very minute -- "CLUE" that is...as in "whodunnit, where, and with what...?" But the question that game implies but never explicitly mentions, one that is what the so-called "game" is all about...solving, the riddle, which may, in turn, inspire you to "right the wrongs" as in an alliteration that characterizes, epitomizes even, the 'thing' the guilty party did, who, upon "instant" re-play, revealed who the one who did the so-called "dastardly deed"!😈😉🤣 which caused the WHOLE team to be penalized, maybe even cost them the WHOLE game. Which, of course, nowadays, is subject to "appeal"😔😟😇 Now, UR all clued in...doubly, dubiously...

Mind-set, UR all set to GAME ON! See you for the day after, party.