Comments on: Sometimes I wonder how I ever managed to be born

By: Annarebeck

Annarebeck — Wed, 28 Mar 2007 23:18:54 +0000

Your dad should stay away from guys named Mike. We used to play a combination of “Bail Out, Medlock!” and Frogger on the swings. People got hurt all the time. It was awesome.

By: Gleemonex

Gleemonex — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 22:36:14 +0000

My novel shall now begin: â€œI was in the lunchroom, looking out the window at a tree eating an egg salad sandwich.â€

By: tortoiseshelly

tortoiseshelly — Mon, 26 Mar 2007 01:43:48 +0000

We played “Bail out, Medlock” all the time – at least until my friend embarrassed me by showing up with tin foil bracelets, belts and tiaras for us to wear (so we could mimic Wonder Woman). As a “trying to look cool” 4th grader, I was completely mortified. I’m ashamed to say I think I completely stopped hanging out with her after that.

Heidi, if you’re out there, I’m sorry I was such a shit!

By: Miz H

Miz H — Sun, 25 Mar 2007 16:46:10 +0000

When I was three, I stole the golf cart from Grandpa and drove it into the pond before bailing out and giving myself a minor concussion.

In ELB’s defense, she always ASKED before performing an action to get me injured. I was just too stupid to say no.

By: ELB

ELB — Sun, 25 Mar 2007 14:39:28 +0000

He wasn’t so into pipe bombs, as he was into straight up dynamite.

Miz. H. up there is my cousin and she’s not kidding. She lived it too. Though I do not at all recall either of the incidents she mentioned. I do recall the time we were in the golf cart and I drove it over a sapling.

By: briantologist

briantologist — Sun, 25 Mar 2007 14:34:23 +0000

I don’t know for sure about pipe bombs, but in the time he’s been my father-in-law, I’ve at the very least seen him construct a pretty spectacular potato cannon.

By: jwer

jwer — Sun, 25 Mar 2007 04:24:44 +0000

your dad is almost as awesome as my dad for the cautionary tale… did he ever make his own pipe bombs?

By: Devlyn

Devlyn — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 19:12:25 +0000

“Bail Out, Medlock” is a game I think everyone played in my childhood. Until one day when some first-grader broke his sternum (really don’t know how) and had to be taken away by an ambulance. After that, the “no jumping from the swings” rule was strictly enforced.

By: Miz H

Miz H — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 16:11:12 +0000

You and I are actually double lucky to be alive. Besides the stupidity we got into, it is nothing short of a cosmic accident that our fathers made it out of adolescence. Home made dynamite, anyone?

And I’ve still got a scar under my chin from the time you used Grandma’s water hose to propel me into the swing set. And on my shin from the time you dared me to jump off our aunt’s porch railing onto the rotten board. Aw. Family. I get a tear, ya know?

But I never did any permanent damage to my little sister. Nope. Never.

By: summerdragon

summerdragon — Sat, 24 Mar 2007 04:42:17 +0000

and people call those the good old days, and worry endlessly about the dangers of childhood now. “Don’t forget your helmet and knee and elbow pads, Timmy! Walking’s dangerous these days!” When was the last time you saw a merry-go-round in a park? Or a see-saw?? BRING BACK THE SEE-SAW!

Ahem. As a bumper sticker once said, “Scars are tattoos with better stories.”