A California "It" and How You Play the Game

By C. MacDonald

When I was a California kid growing up in a different century, many of the games children played had an important central figure, called "It."

"It" was the person who got the shortest straw and often happened to be the smallest in attendance. "It" was the first person to do the dirty work of trying to find others in hide-and-seek.

In flashlight tag, "It" had to wade through brush in an effort to hopefully catch a fleeing player with the rays of artificial light.

On occasion, "It" also could be the most desired position. Like in Dodge Ball, "It" got to be in the circle. In Jumping Rope, "It" was the one who jumped, while others twirled.

However, "It" was usually an undesirable position. But if you were smart, it was possible to reverse your unpleasant role.

I can remember being one of several hiders in hide-and-seek, going into the bushes, where I silently crouched uncomfortably out-of-sight, for what seemed like an eternity. Much to our dismay, the guy who was "It," just sat on a bucket and pounded his feet against the pavement as if he was coming after us.

He never really did. It took us quite a while before we emerged from our dark, tight quarters to discover "It" had disappeared and gone home.

Another unscrupulous "It" used the trick of leaving his light (in flashlight tag) shinning from the top of a fence, then circling around behind the unsuspecting squatters to surprise them with a small flashlight he kept in his pocket.

When we protested that his actions were unlawful, the seeker's only reply was, "Remember, it's not whether you win or lose. It's how you play the game!"