Slightly Exaggerated Thanksgiving Memories

At my parent's home each Thanksgiving-- after a big turkey dinner and before the Detroit Lions played some other team that afternoon--my brother and I would move furniture out of the middle of the living room, get the tall, plastic trash-can-that-was-never-used-as-a-trash-can from the closet and announce:



"It's Thanksgiving Game time!"





Our four and five-year-old nieces and nephews would come a-runnin'. We would remind them of the rules: (1) You will have the plastic trash can placed over your head and shoulders so that you can't see; (2) You will be spun around fast, until you get dizzy; (3) We will throw soft pillows at you while you try and keep your balance; and (4) If you can stay upright, you win the game.

The Thanksgiving Game was simply a ruse that allowed my brother and me to pelt small, dizzy kids with pillows. There was no winner, as the game was always extended for as long as it took to finally drop the kid to the floor. Even if a kid had stayed upright, there was no prize to be awarded.

It was a con. A fun con, but a con nonetheless.

Later in the evening--and without being plied by alcohol, I should add--we would typically stage a Round-Robin Tournament of something we called Indian Wrestling. It was similar to arm wrestling and thumb wrestling, except this competition used the legs. I never won, but my Mom usually did. She was a real competitor, and had great technique. Even at our physical peak, we kids never stood a chance against her.

Central, rural West Virginia in the early 80s. What else you gonna do for entertainment?

Life seems a bit more complicated these days, what with the hustle and bustle of the season, and family members living farther apart than they did twenty-five years ago. And kids certainly have more entertainment options than I had back in the day. Indian wrestling? Yeah, right...maybe if the electricity in the house goes out and the battery in the Gameboy eventually dies.


More options may not necessarily mean more fun, though.

I could still take most people best two-out-of three.