# Risk (connecting with my son)



## lostmyreligion (Oct 18, 2013)

From when he was about 13 to present (16), one of the issues I've had in connecting with my son is that I'm a technosaur. Really not much more than something to scrape off the sole of his boot in any kind of Xbox shooter game.

I was getting a bit concerned. 

Turned out he and his friends were using their game connection to set up air-soft pellet gun battles in the bush. I was pretty heartened by this initially, but then realized that I still suffered PTSD from all those times I'd been shot in the a$$ and back of the legs while running away from my brothers as a child. And their real pellet guns. And their "Penetrator" brand heavyweight lead pellets.And their high velocity darts. 

And the laughter. Always the laughter.....

It became obvious to me that I couldn't join in for fear of a debilitating flashback. My boy would never live down his father running away screaming like a girl while being shot in the a$$ with *plastic* pellets by his friends.

I compensated by buying him the most powerful, barely legal (490 feet per second) selectable (semi or fully) automatic AK47 clone air-soft DEATH STICK I could find.

After his friends stopped playing air-soft with him because, _*APPARENTLY*_, his was "the only gun that consistently drew blood". we had a bit bf a bonding moment where we laughed together about what pussies they all were.

But then there was the disconnect again. And worse. This year he had taken Drama as an elective at school _and was enjoying it_. Even making new friends.

Sweet Je$us. How was I supposed to relate to this?

So he came in the other day after hanging out with his buds the entire night before and I asked him what they did all evening. 

He said "We played Risk. You wouldn't get it."

 

I've been invited to the next game. I think I'll wait a month or so before I introduce full contact rules.


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## Uptown (Mar 27, 2010)

Thanks for sharing such a wonderful story with us, LMR. It's right up there with "You'll shoot your eye out" in Christmas Story!


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## lostmyreligion (Oct 18, 2013)

Thanks Uptown:smile2:

I had a laugh writing it. Gave the rest of the family a snerk too. The boy's actually pretty talented on stage. Taught himself to play piano as well. 

He and his sister are both in the cast doing a full on musical with their classmates this year. Both have solo numbers. His is Jackson's "Man in the Mirror". Gonna be interesting considering he's a baritone.

I grew up seriously rural - a la 'Walton's Mountain', so yeah, the bit about my brothers is historical.

Bastards.

Used to play full contact Risk with my buddies back in my twenties. Later, we moved on to croquet. 

Because it's better with a club.


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## Anon Pink (Jan 17, 2013)

Boys!


Great story.


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