Grandpa Richard's Kids

I watched as my son-in-law and grand daughter opened Christmas gifts that involved electronics. Could not believe that my daughter bought her husband a PSP for Christmas. “Won’t he just sit there deep in action, and not hear you talking?” was my question to her.

Then a friend emailed me and shared how her and her children were playing some game on the Wii. She explained to them about a time long ago without electronic games. (horror!!) Instead, she related to them, we played games like kick the can.

How many of you remember that one?

For me, it was the early 60′s, near Grantham and Scott in St. Catharines. Specifically on Melba Road, which was a nice quiet side street.

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There would usually be at least a dozen of us playing, probably as young as 7 or 8 and as old as 14 or 15. Some of the parents would be on lawn chairs in their front yards watching. It was a simpler time.

Still do not know what kick the can is?

It was similar to hide-and-seek. Put an empty can (at least a large tomato juice can, or similar) in the middle of the street. One person is chosen to be “it”, and must cover their eyes and count to 50 or some number. Everyone else hides. (always set rules about where you can hide, especially noting if Widow Smith’s place is off limits!) Then the person who is “it” must find the rest of us, without getting too far from the can. If you were hiding and the person who was “it” got too far from the can, you could run for the can, kicking it. Then “it” had to retrieve the can, put it back, and count while everyone hid again.

Now, usually the ones who had already been caught made a commotion when they saw you start to run, and “it” would also start running for the can. If “it” kicked it first, you lose! Guess what happened sometimes? Collisions!!!

No blasting aliens on a 42″ TV serving as a game screen. Instead, we would mash each other at a full run, both flying off to land on nice smooth pavement (ya, right, tell all my scars that one).