Carefree and Dangerous

We're heading to the Spaniard after work to play darts and get in some pintage today. I haven't played darts since I was in Stockholm about five years ago and I'm pretty sure I had my ass handed to me on a plate and narrowly missed hitting a lampshade. I used to own a dartboard when I was a child and had it hooked up on my bedroom wall. However, several weeks later there was a hundred holes in the wallpaper and it was removed, an easel bought and it was relocated to the garage where I could do less damage. Then I lost interest. If you can't put holes in your parents property through meaningless acts of carnage when you're a ten your old kid, you suddenly lose enthusiasm. Where's the danger in lodging a dart in the garage wall? No clip round the ear there [not that I secretly craved getting that kind of attention although I always seemed to deserve it as I was a reluctant crusader of breaking stuff].

I preferred throwing darts over my head and between my legs to try for the bullseye than actually playing the game properly. I wonder if this is the same for professional sportsmen teaching their children the game. Depends on what it is of course. "Come on Katie, don't you want to learn curling?". "David, that is not how we play lawn bowls." Kids need to throw, hit or kick things or else it's just boring although with lawsuits flying over schools heads these days, it's become rather dull in the extra-curricular activities area. My brother and I were reminiscing about a game we played in school called "churcy-hangover" whereby you would separate into two groups. One group would line up in a row with their head under the crotch and holding onto the legs of the person in front to form a centipede. The other group would then take turns to run and jump onto the line. The goal was to hold on without falling off and shuffle to the front and if the group could hold onto the impact and weight of the second group jumping on them, they would win and if the chain fell apart they would lose. I suppose looking back on it, it's surprising there were no serious injuries but that's what that era was - carefree and dangerous.

So tonight I may suggest adding a little zest to the proceedings - provided they all fill out a no claims form.