Sorry

The box was high on the shelf in the closet underneath Monopoly and on top of Clue and Scrabble.

The gray corners dinged and torn. The top creased and scratched from years of use.

We'd grab a chair and stand on it so we could reach it. The tips of our fingers tapped the edge of the box and tilted it until it slid and dropped into our hands. You could hear the game pieces clink together as we juggled the box.

We'd toss it on the floor with a thud and rip open the top claiming our color before we even had the board unfolded .

"I'm red." I'd shout.

"Blue." said my brother.

"Yellow." said my sister.

"Ah, I don't want to be green." my little brother would say.

"You snooze you lose." we'd chant and laugh.

"Ok. I'll be green." he'd say with a shrug.

We would immediately put our pieces on our start color and start shuffling the cards. The deck was bent and worn from dozens of games of Sorry. We layed on the carpet and began playing. We were willing a card with a one or two to appear so we could be one of the first off of Start.

Before too long we each had at least one player on the board. Our strategy was the same. To win. Coming in second was no fun. There was no fist pumping when you came in second. Winning was the goal.

We used every opportunity to set our opponent back. We swapped places when we got an 11. We'd hold a piece near start hoping to get the 4 which would give us a nice reverse close to home. We didn't care how close you were to winning, if we got a Sorry card and you were on the board you were sent packing with a big 'ol "Sssoooooooooorrrrrrrrrrrryyyyyyyy." We were viscous. We'd laugh loud and talk non-stop trying to throw off your concentration.

We'd go crazy and collapse on the floor when we were sent packing until we got a Sorry card and send someone else to start. And don't even think about cheating. Ha. We were watching every move.

The minute we finished, and the winner was done gloating and bragging, we'd throw the game back in the box and yell "Want to play cards! Let's play crazy eights." And we were off, hunting down a deck with all 52 cards.

We spent many, many hours playing games and cards with my family, cousins, aunts and uncles, and my grandmother.  We'd all huddle around the kitchen table playing poker and Michigan Rummy until the adults would finally shoo us off to bed. We would hear them laughing and joking long after we went upstairs.

Last weekend we got together with my sister, her family and my parents. Of course we had to play cards. Elli taught us how to play a game called Tongues. It's basically Spoons, but you stick out your tongue instead of grabbing a spoon. It was hilarious. Watching my dad stick out his tongue and my sweet little niece laughing was so fun. My stomach hurt from playing the game, and from listening to all the gross camping stories everyone was sharing.

It reminded me that we need to turn off the TV more often and play games and laugh together.

The TRDC prompt this week was to write about your memories of playing games when you were a kid. We still play Sorry.  Anyone want to play?