From deep in the woods on a misty day I heard the high pitched giggling of my boy followed by an obnoxiously loud “crap, crap, crap, damn that hurt” as my son surrendered… coming through the trees… gun over his head… smile glowing brightly through his fogged up face mask.
He’d been hit.
The welt on his back his badge of honor… the smile on his face… mine.
We took two carloads of eleven and twelve year olds to Mersey Road Paintball in East River for my son’s belated birthday celebration. He’d wanted to play… and had no problem waiting until three weeks after his actual birthday for his turn on the field and a much anticipated celebration.
We arrived mid-morning. Me driving the carload of girls in various layers of old worn out clothing and much trepidation. The question of “will it hurt” second on their minds to the thrill of a new adventure.
Howard, Jim and Colleen greeted us and went through the rules, then loaded the guns with paint and headed onto the course for the games to begin.
At first they were laid back… getting the lay of the land… the feel of the paint gun in their hands. By game two… it was on!
I saw ducking and running and rolling through barracks, under bushes, around a car, a helicopter, an old jeep… slinking through the woods to find a hiding place behind a pile of old tires, a rock or a wood structure… to then openly run… dodging paint balls and laughing gloriously through the misty air.
The smiles on the faces a testament to the wonderful time they were having… friendships binding tighter with each and every giggle, bruise and scream!
The crowd at Mersey were FABULOUS! Jim and Colleen ref’d a team each while Howard stayed back holding down the “Rat Hole”. As refs… they encouraged the kids to be a little braver, go a little closer, run a little faster… and they laughed repeatedly at the screams (and shockingly enough the odd curse word) that echoed through the forced quiet.
We headed out laughing… the day a success. Stopping for pizza I listened to their stories as they proudly showed their wounds… the way they saw things.
How they retold the adventure… so much better than watching it with my own eyes!
I've only played paintball once and it was with a bunch of highly testosteroned guys at work – at this stage never again (with them). The guys become total warlords when they get their masks on and the guns in their hands….with no mercy for anyone!!
Have a great week, probably only visit again next weekend
LG
The girls, or atleast mine, had a fantastic time! For a week she asked the question "what will it feel like"? I've been "flicking" her every now and then asking her "did that hurt?". All her worry was for not as she didn't get struck once! She did a very good job hiding. BJ
@LG… can't imagine paintballing with a bunch of guys… or a bunch of kids for that matter. But I THOROUGHLY enjoyed sitting in the "princess tower" hearing all of the fun below!
@BJ… I think it's hilarious you spent the week "flicking" her!!! She did hide INCREDIBLY well. But… by as the games went on… got braver and braver. She was the one who made me most proud! The ref was AWESOME encouraging here… I think it was a very positive experience for her!