Red Rover, Red Rover

I can feel it. The adrenaline. It's racing through me. Up from my feet that are so firmly rooted into the ground I feel like I'm the biggest oak tree in the forest to the tips of fingers that are being slowly crushed at the anticipation of what is coming at me. 


I make eye contact with Susie, we see what's about to happen. He thinks we're the weakest link. We know he's going to be coming right at us. Dirt clouds rise from underneath his sneakers as he propels himself forward. It's almost as if it's in slow motion. He's 10 feet away. 8. 5. 3 feet now. I exhale and squeeze Susie's hand harder than ever before. My eyes close, my teeth are clenched and I send up a silent prayer to the recess gods that we won't become the broken links in this human rubber band.

As a kid, one game I loved playing was Red Rover. I wasn't amazing at it but that was the great thing about Red Rover - you didn't have to be great. All you had to do was run at a couple of outstretched arms and hope that you picked the weakest link. Simple game. Simple fun. Ahh, those were the days. The days of flashing sneakers, permed hair and following the ice cream man around on your bicycle.

I always seem to go back to that time whenever I see a couple holding hands in public. To run full speed at them just to see if they break hands so that I can relive a few moments of my childhood. I always wonder if they'd hold their hands tight, or if they'd let loose? What if Red Rover was an analogy to our relationships in life - if something comes running at you are you going to hold on to the ones you love or let them slip away? 

I definitely think I'd try and hold on. We lose so much in life already - in our job, in our own selfish world, in the past - to just let go with no promise you'll have enough will or want to reach back for that hand. 

And for me, letting go because some crazy chick running at me in the middle of the mall screaming "Red Rover Red Rover Let Tamara come over!" just isn't worth it. And who knows, by holding on you may learn things about yourself you never knew.