As kids in the 60s, we didn't always have a lot in the way of toys and such. This was way before IPods, PSP's, Game Cubes, DVD's and 24 hour 2 billion channel satellite TV. Television was mostly black and white in our neighborhood, and there were times at our house when we didn't even have a TV. If our old black and white TV\Stereo console went out while we were watching the Munsters, we knew the replacement set might be a few years in coming. I distinctly remember being gathered as a family around one of our childhood TV sets when it left us. The picture suddenly began to recede from all four sides, quickly shrinking into a bright circle of light, like a white drain, until there was only this one bright dot in the middle of the set. I remember the voices talking on as if we could still see them. And how, for a while, we would revisit the dot just for the voices, kind of rediscovering the age of radio, until eventually the voices stopped too. Anyway, in the midst of this simpler time, big brother Tony shone forth as a champion and inventor of alternative family entertainment. There were many free and creative opportunities for fun all around us, and Tony was a King at seeking them out. Following, are only some of the real life authentic Tony-invented family games (I must mention that brother Tim also played no small part in the planning and implementation of these activities):
DOGGY GET THE HAT - For a short while we adopted a full grown "difficult to keep" dog from another family. I was only 4 at the time and only remember that the dog was taller than me and brown and white. The dog's name was Poky. The game unfolded like this. Tony & Tim would first go into our back yard and torment Poky with a dark blue knitted cap. Next, the hat was brought back into our service porch where I was kept waiting. Lastly, the hat was then placed on my head and I was pushed out the back door with the instruction to "run away from the dog." The game for me was to keep away from Poky. For the others the game was simply to watch me try.
TV THEME SONG CLOSET TRAP - This was a game we usually played when our parents were out and Tony and Tim were babysitting Rody and me. The game was pretty easy to setup. First, one of us - wait - yeah, it was always me - I would be caught after a short attempt at fleeing, and carried to the front hall closet. This closet was filled mostly with musty old coats our parents never wore anymore. There might have been a vacuum and some storage boxes. I don't really remember - it was dark. Anyway, I would be put in the closet and the door would be easily held shut. Next, while holding the door shut, Tony would begin to hum the creepy theme song for the scary TV show, "One Step Beyond." For me the game was to pound and plead. Rosanne's part was to play my advocate from the hallway, using tactics such as threatening to tell our parents when they got home. The tricky part for the door holder (Tony) was to keep the prisoner (me) in the closet despite the threats of the hall advocate (Rody) for as long as possible without actually reaching the threshold whereby the prisoner or advocate would actually mention the game to our parents. Tony was a master at that game.
DRAWING ON TONY'S BACK WITH A BALL-POINT PEN - Just what it sounds like. He usually had to bribe us with pocket change.
BUNK BED DROP - This was a game for “boys only” that my brothers and I would play after lights out. Tony and Tim shared a room and slept on a steel framed bunk bed. Rody and I shared another room until she started 1st Grade, at which time she took over our room and I began sleeping on the couch in the living room (hey - my room had a TV in it, sometimes.) This game was one of those that you played in whispers after your parents were asleep, and it went basically like this. Tony and Tim would come and find me asleep on the couch. Next, they would wake me and ask if I wanted to come and sleep with them in their room. I would be told that I would even get to sleep on the top bunk. Of course, I would say “yes,” and then run happily off with them to the boys’ room. Next, I would be told that it would be safer for me to sleep against the wall. That way I wouldn't roll off in my sleep (the bed did not have a safety rail - kids were not as clumsy in those days). Now, it was critical to the game that I agree to join them, to take the top bunk and to choose the safety of sleeping by the wall. Then, after I was asleep, Tony and Tim would kneel on the floor beside the bed, and on the count of three, they would pull the bed away from the wall and watch me fall past. Of course, they would have previously laid a blanket on the floor to protect me. It was a hardwood floor. Apparently, I remained clueless enough about the surprise twist ending of the game to agree to continue playing it multiple times. Whether this was due to the fact that I was asleep at the time, just overly naïve or simply the result of repeated blunt force contact with the blanketed hardwood floor, I’ll never really know. This game in particular not only brought much delight to my older brothers, but it continues to bring joy and laughter to their children and my own in just the retelling. - Tom
DOGGY GET THE HAT - For a short while we adopted a full grown "difficult to keep" dog from another family. I was only 4 at the time and only remember that the dog was taller than me and brown and white. The dog's name was Poky. The game unfolded like this. Tony & Tim would first go into our back yard and torment Poky with a dark blue knitted cap. Next, the hat was brought back into our service porch where I was kept waiting. Lastly, the hat was then placed on my head and I was pushed out the back door with the instruction to "run away from the dog." The game for me was to keep away from Poky. For the others the game was simply to watch me try.
TV THEME SONG CLOSET TRAP - This was a game we usually played when our parents were out and Tony and Tim were babysitting Rody and me. The game was pretty easy to setup. First, one of us - wait - yeah, it was always me - I would be caught after a short attempt at fleeing, and carried to the front hall closet. This closet was filled mostly with musty old coats our parents never wore anymore. There might have been a vacuum and some storage boxes. I don't really remember - it was dark. Anyway, I would be put in the closet and the door would be easily held shut. Next, while holding the door shut, Tony would begin to hum the creepy theme song for the scary TV show, "One Step Beyond." For me the game was to pound and plead. Rosanne's part was to play my advocate from the hallway, using tactics such as threatening to tell our parents when they got home. The tricky part for the door holder (Tony) was to keep the prisoner (me) in the closet despite the threats of the hall advocate (Rody) for as long as possible without actually reaching the threshold whereby the prisoner or advocate would actually mention the game to our parents. Tony was a master at that game.
DRAWING ON TONY'S BACK WITH A BALL-POINT PEN - Just what it sounds like. He usually had to bribe us with pocket change.
BUNK BED DROP - This was a game for “boys only” that my brothers and I would play after lights out. Tony and Tim shared a room and slept on a steel framed bunk bed. Rody and I shared another room until she started 1st Grade, at which time she took over our room and I began sleeping on the couch in the living room (hey - my room had a TV in it, sometimes.) This game was one of those that you played in whispers after your parents were asleep, and it went basically like this. Tony and Tim would come and find me asleep on the couch. Next, they would wake me and ask if I wanted to come and sleep with them in their room. I would be told that I would even get to sleep on the top bunk. Of course, I would say “yes,” and then run happily off with them to the boys’ room. Next, I would be told that it would be safer for me to sleep against the wall. That way I wouldn't roll off in my sleep (the bed did not have a safety rail - kids were not as clumsy in those days). Now, it was critical to the game that I agree to join them, to take the top bunk and to choose the safety of sleeping by the wall. Then, after I was asleep, Tony and Tim would kneel on the floor beside the bed, and on the count of three, they would pull the bed away from the wall and watch me fall past. Of course, they would have previously laid a blanket on the floor to protect me. It was a hardwood floor. Apparently, I remained clueless enough about the surprise twist ending of the game to agree to continue playing it multiple times. Whether this was due to the fact that I was asleep at the time, just overly naïve or simply the result of repeated blunt force contact with the blanketed hardwood floor, I’ll never really know. This game in particular not only brought much delight to my older brothers, but it continues to bring joy and laughter to their children and my own in just the retelling. - Tom
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