Field Day

In 1949’s Mighty Joe Young, there’s a scene in which the strength of the title gorilla is pitted against a collection of the world’s strongest men. Each side stands atop a pair of artificial cliffs, separated by a pool of water. The competition is, of course, a tug-of-war. In watching this classic and enjoyable film earlier today, this particular scene triggered fond memories of elementary school.

I’m not sure if schools still have field days, but I always enjoyed those annual events, though I myself could hardly be considered an athlete by any stretch of the imagination. When I was still in single digits, my parents enrolled me in a soccer team for two consecutive years, with less than sterling results. Games were frequently held on Saturday mornings when I was more concerned with the cartoons I was missing. I generally played defense, and the one time I was promoted to goalie I stopped a ball with my face and lost a loose tooth in the process. Fortunately, the tooth was recovered after a short search and game play could resume. I suppose the mandatory self-esteem trophies and ribbons for “Dribbling” should have been encouragement enough to keep playing, but other things discouraged me. My mom thought it was a great joke to tell people it looked like I was “doing ballet out there”, but I was somewhat offended. If I was making a fool of myself in front of throngs of parents and sports fans, then I had no motivation to continue. There would not be a third year.

Field day was different. The events were athletic, yet somehow fun. We had short races, often in burlap potato sacks. It was so fun and silly hopping around; I honestly didn’t know or care if I ever won. Friends who know me as an adult obsessively competitive about meaningless things would be surprised to know I ever played a game solely for fun, but it was a different time and a different MCF out there. The tug-of-war was by far my favorite. Perhaps the rope was coarse and thick, and rope burns were a big risk for small hands. But it wasn’t a measure of individual strength. I felt stronger working with other kids as a team, our collective whole exceeding the sum of our parts. Best of all, when all was said and done, we’d adjoin to a large table abundant with fresh watermelon. Field day was better than gym, better than any one sport, because it was in effect extended and official recess.

I hope schools still do it. I think it’s something companies should offer for adults. The first company I worked for after graduation once held a barbecue that climaxed in an insane game of volleyball at the park. The first year at my current job I’d throw a Frisbee around at lunch, hanging on to another beloved pastime from my high school and college years. That Frisbee’s since spent more time on my shelf, so I’ve had to settle for gym, bowling and a marathon, all through my job. I think it would be a great way to alleviate stress if the tug-of-war was incorporated in extra-corporate activities.

At the very least I want my slice of watermelon.