“Yo, I hit your leg!” “Too bad!” “You should have moved!” “No, I stood my grounds!” “Then, do over!!!”
“I couldn’t hit it, the ball landed on a crack and it went sideways… and
“No, no do over!!!” Then it’s Hindu!” That was typical of our conversations during some of our most intense games!
Ever since around the age of seven, every game I played with the guys, involved a do over! Whether it was two-hand touch football (American), punch-ball, stick-ball, dodgeball, handball, or, no offense, Chinese handball, as we knew it, ‘Do over’ was part of the game! In Chinese handball, the ball, either one of two types, a Spaulding known as a Spaldeen or a Pencey-Pinky, was served by hitting it down at an angle like a “V” so that after it bounced, it would hit the wall. All players had to stay within their (sidewalk) box. The Server could hit it in his own box several times before passing it to the player next to him or to other players (we used to play up to 4 or 6 players at once). Each player, though, had to pass it to the other player to his right. I believe we could bounce it within our box several times until ready to hit it to the next person. However, the ball had to bounce only once before hitting the wall. Unlike regular handball, a killer was a no-no. Since a killer had to hit the wall first, in this game, you were out if you hit one. The game required lots of concentration. For one, you had to keep reminding yourself that it wasn’t handball! You couldn’t just hit the ball with all of your might since the court was small and it really required patience and strategy.
One characteristic of this game was Babies. That’s when you hit the ball so short and so close to the wall that you’re almost on your knees and your nose is practically touching the ball as you await what your opponent would do next. Of course, you would want to “Baby’ it back to him but at an angle so that the ball would practically die-that is, not bounce much so that he would miss it. Sometimes, though, as you expected a “Baby’ the opponent would get really close to the wall but hit it hard catching you off guard! Sometimes, while the ball was in the air, a player would fake hitting it hard and then run in and do a Baby on you-or vice versa! Needless to say, we all had to be on our guard all the time. If the Server missed, the next in line would move up. That was everyone’s goal, to move up. If another player missed, he’d move to the end. Rounds of shouts, roars of laughter, mockings, spooks or jinxes, sweaty palms, and bring-it-on were part of the game! The obvious objectives were to ‘psych out’ (syke) your opponents.
And so, anytime someone blocked you, or you accidently hit another player, etc. we’d yell, “Do Over!” That meant another chance at it. Sometimes we yelled “Interference!” It meant the same thing. Our games were loaded with yelling and shouting and quick moves. We played intense games. We jumped, zoomed in, zoomed out, rolled on the ground, jumped over and under others, but we rarely had any real arguments or fights. It was just the way we were and how we played. Some games were ‘Just for fun’ while others seemed like life and death depended on them. One thing for sure, we put our all into them!
Do overs were woven into every game and sometimes, it really helped because while the other players were arguing for, or against the call, you could just serve again or whack the ball (in stick-ball) catching them off guard and scoring! Of course, that in itself many times became a do over because no one was ready! Angel was one player known for that! He was sneaky, fast, strong, and a good hitter. Do overs were the actions and adventurous parts of any game! We really looked forward to them!
These games and how we played them actually shaped the ways we learned to deal with life. We were always friends. A game was just a game. Though played ‘to the death,’ so to speak, we came back to life next day and tried our best again. Great lessons for facing life.
Maybe you can remember some of the games and sports you grew up playing. Depending on your neighborhood and country, I’m sure they were different from mine. Nevertheless, you might relate to some of these moments. It’s great to relive times and lessons that shaped our lives. Times spent with those we knew and with those we shared special moments with are the things that can give our lives meaning. Relish those moments and memories.
Growing up among friends had its advantages. Living life with that cushiony feeling of getting breaks, made our days. Now that we’re grown, we have to remember and accept that life isn’t based on do overs. Very few things can be fixed with those two words.
Perhaps you’ve grown up thinking about your future. Millions live with an unrealistic expectation of how they’ll exit this life. For those who believe there is a God, they dream of their dying days as being cooped up on a bed with plenty of time to sort things out and then just die quietly. Reality proposes that most of us will go in a way or in a situation we never would have imagined. And for those thinking and hoping that once they’ve reached their final destination, there’s a way out or around, or under; sorry. There isn’t. If you’re thinking of saying to God, “Yo, he was in my way, it wasn’t my fault; let me do it over.” Scripture tells us, “It is appointed unto man, once to die and after this, the judgement” (Hebrews 9:27).
As in some of our games, there’ll be yelling, screaming, and gnashing of teeth as people sadly realize that they are doomed and that the only do overs in their lives will be to relive the horrors of torture and separation from God for all eternity. But WAIT! All is not yet over!
Scripture says, “Now is the day of salvation! If you hear His voice today, do not harden your hearts” (2 Corinthians 6:2, Hebrews 3:8, 4:7). Today is your day of do overs! Can you imagine?! God is so gracious!! Ask Him into your heart this very moment! He’s watching and waiting for you! Your life is your game! Play your best game! Give it all your best shots! Maybe when you played as a kid just as we did, you may or may not have had spectators watching you, but God is watching your every move. He’s for you. And when He’s in your heart, you will play the best games ever.
Accept Jesus into your heart, make Him The Server, and send me a comment! I will cheer you on too!
God bless you!