“You ever heard of Saul Out or Hopscotch?” I asked Nixon, son of one of my co-workers.
“Nooooooo,” he replied.
There I was ‘Googling’ up ‘Disney Games’ to keep him occupied, “What about ‘ketcha’ [catch] or Hide and Seek?” I asked; when I already knew the answer.
“Yup!” he said.
Well of course he knows those games; we are still in Guyana and if he didn’t that would be absurd!
For just a brief minute, my job was to entertain Nixon, and I loved it for two reasons. He reminds me of myself when I was a kid – energetic and keen and also because I always wanted a twin. I would have settled for a little sibling and Nixon sort of fitted.
His eyes grew wild when he saw all the online games Disney had to offer. While the game was loading, I explained to him how I played when I was a child: running around, playing cricket, pelting mangoes and building stuff out of scrap wood. His eyes and ears were focused on the loading game, paying me no attention. Well I can’t be too surprised; I grew up in the age when home computers were the new thing. It was like one day I was out in the yard picking mangoes and the next my mom was teaching me to type. Video games were never my thing until adolescence and nowadays I hardly turn on my Wii console.
But what will become of future Nixons? He knows of some games like Hide and Seek, but when it comes to Saul Out he is clueless. I estimate that the future generations would forget about all those games and be focused on things like Call of Duty and Super Mario. While video games are enticing, they but cannot be compared to the great outdoors.
Outdoor activities are awesome! Can you digitise walking in a field of sugarcane just to fly a kite? Playing street cricket? Freezer? Catch and Freeze? 1, 2, 3 Red Light –Statue! Oh what a joyous combination! I suddenly feel nostalgic; missing those good old days.
Childhood obesity is plaguing the United States and northern world – it is debatable whether this is from lack of play or just plain carbohydrates in the mass amounts of junk food consumed. But regardless of the cause, outdoor activities are essential for a healthy lifestyle.
All work and no play makes Jack a dull boy will need to be reformed. All video games and no outdoors will make Jack a fat boy is fitting.
Nixon sat there, glued to the computer screen, playing his game and just to test a theory, I started telling him about the Shakespeare play, The Merchant of Venice. I then asked if he understood what I was telling him about.
He nodded vigorously, “Yes.”
This boy who is just over five understands the complexity of The Merchant of Venice.
Just to be ‘baderation’, I closed the tab of the game but faced with his opposition, I opened it and let him play until it was time for him to leave.
Contemplating the fatter, lazier generations to come, I felt grateful that all the Nixons of Guyana still play one and two outdoor games and are still active; when his mother called him he sprang from his seat and ran to her.
When it comes to the education and health of our children we should really look at our priorities. In no way are video games bad because they are good visual stimulation and offer opportunities to socialise, if you play with others. But parents should also show children how to have fun in the sun and with that they themselves will learn to balance out their gaming. (Jairo Rodrigues)
