dodgeball (was: [thechat] Jan 18 peace march)

[aardvark]

> From: Ben Dyer <ben_dyer at imaginuity.com>
>
> Well, after about the fourth time that I was belted in the face in 7th
> grade gym class, I wanted dodgeball out of school, too.  Nothing like
> a sport that encourages the strong to throw objects at the weak at
> violent speeds.

a little lesson on darwinism that served me well in the after-school
chaos of the day...

> The only thing I learned from dodgeball was how to artfully take
> myself out of the game during the mass confusion.

lay on the floor?  hit yourself?  hand the ball to your opponent and
declare yourself out?

> That and how to fix my glasses on the fly...

see, i loved dodgeball... to me, it was a great equalizer sport...
the rules were simple, and there wasn't reliance on team play (at
least not the way i played)... anyone could excel if he/she was
insidious enough...

granted, i couldn't hit anything more than 10 feet away, and even
then, there was a good chance they'd catch my ball... so i'd have to
move in close and draw them into throwing... they'd miss (or i'd
dodge) and i'd whack them as they ran...

that's what i learned from dodgeball... don't run...

that and make your opponent show all he's got early on...

i used to love the feeling of being the only one left on my team with
6 or 7 on the opposing team, and still winning...

sadly, there are no dodgeballs games after the age of, say, 15...

you know, in kickball you get the runner out by hitting him with the
ball... i never got out that way, and i often ducked under balls i
didn't see coming... skills learned from dodgeball, i presume...

oh, my true calling in life...

--
my latest book project:
  Web Graphics for Non-Designers
  http://amazon.com/exec/obidos/ASIN/1904151159/evoltorg02-20
  ISBN: 1904151159