I did that on occasion. It was easy. I'd just bait the kid with the ball by telling him his mother was this or that, let his weak toss carom off my forearm, and trot off to more important matters, such as getting Susie LaVelle to notice me. A game that systematically eliminates players isn't necessarily a bad thing. Think of it as a starter kit for life.
Systematic elimination is commonplace in jobs, love, beer-league softball, TV game shows.
In short, the real world, where no one gets a free pass because their self-esteem might get rubbed the wrong way. If kids want to play dodge ball, let 'em have at it. And for those who don't, there's always rhythmic breathing. Brian Ojanpa is a Free Press staff writer. All Items copyright The Free Press unless otherwise noted.