But when it comes to competing in a game of “corn hole”, both are intent on gaining the competitive edge. Seriously, until we traveled north of the Red River back in June for a mini-family reunion with my brother and his Okie family, I was not familiar with the game. (Clarification – My brother and his Okie family were born in Texas, but they are Okies by choice and from their perspective – God’s grace)
On the outside chance that you are not familiar with the game either, cornhole is a lawn game. The players take turns throwing bags of plastic resin at a raised platform with a hole in the far end. A bag in the hole scores 3 points, while one on the board scores 1 point. Play continues until a team or player reaches or exceeds the score of 21 by means of cancellation scoring.
Truth be told, it took me less than five minutes to discover I had no natural skillset or any real interest in developing one. That probably sounds like sour grapes on my part, but it was too much like golf to hold my interest. Whether it is tossing washers, tossing beanbags at a carnival show, sinking a golf ball in a cup or playing cornhole on your lawn, I relegate it all to the category of a total waste of time.
Okay, okay, I get it. It does sound like sour grapes doesn’t it? When it comes to nonsense, I am naturally gifted. The fact that I don’t like playing senseless games must be an anomaly. The General on the other hand, is all over it. She looks for opportunities to excel and demonstrate her prowess over me. Actually, it’s not just me. She plays games with the grandkids all of the time. If they win, it is on their own merit. The General isn’t going to throw a game and lose purposely.
I couldn’t have been more surprised when my daughter and son-in-law ordered a cornhole set immediately after returning from Oklahoma. Seriously, did they really think the game was that much fun?
Obviously, my disdain for the game is atypical. Other members of my family do not share my opinion. After Kevin and Andrea got a set, the General expressed an interest in our getting one. “Over my dead body” was my initial thought, but I didn’t want to make the prospect of getting one sound too inviting. Consequently, I simply said: “We aren’t getting one.” I softened the mandate by adding the truthful statement that we don’t have a place to store one.
Our garage is bulging at the seams as it is. We have a full house and incorporating a gigantic outdoor board game doesn’t fit with our lack of available space. Besides that Andrea and Kevin only live two miles always. If the General wants to play, I’m sure they’d be accommodating.
With the General, I can’t come across as an authoritarian male chauvinist or I will lose the game every time. She’d get one just to show me. Heaven help us – we don’t need a cornhole game!
Recently, learning that my son and daughter-in-law also now have a cornhole game came also came as another surprise. The ping pong table in their garage should offer all the diversion from everyday life that any of them need. Cornhole – really? Seriously, the things we come up with to entertain ourselves never ceases to amaze me.
My first thought was that the siblings were going to attempt to be one up on the other in terms of skill set. Crazy – isn’t it? I’d never make it as a private investigator. I’d never solve a case. Once I learned the truth, I thought it was hilariously funny. The desire for the competitive edge has nothing to do with sibling rilvary. It is much bigger! Did you hear that little brother? It is much bigger.
Apparently my brother’s Okie family – his son and son-in-law – are cornhole players par excellence! They didn’t give their Texas cousins the pleasure of even winning one round. It was two and a half days of a steady diet of LOSE – LOSE – LOSE.
Did I mention my kids don’t like to lose? They get that from their mother. Apparently, independent of the other, both of my kids resolved to return to Oklahoma the following year to even the score.
Personally, I think that is hilariously funny. It would even be funnier if the Oklahoma cousins wore overalls and chewed on grass stalks, but they mostly camouflage the third world country persona. One of them drives a new Corvette, so the subtle invitation is “catch me if you can”. So far, the only one playing that game is the long-arm of the law.
So the two sets on cornhole games belonging to my kids actually represents a form of collusion and stalwart determination. Now that my kids have compared notes, they are like-minded. They have a score to settle. If practice can make perfect, they will wear overalls and chew on grass stalks if need be, but they do plan an Oklahoma redemption of sorts.
All My Best!
Don