Guns at a Local Park? You Betcha!

It is the perfect summer afternoon. The sun is shining and the breeze is blowing. The Slurpee kids, as I have now nicknamed my group of kids, are out on their daily adventure at a local park when out of nowhere, guns are ablaze!   

Kids are running left; kids are running right. Up the slides, down the slides! Rolling here! Rolling there! Run! We are being ambushed with weapons of mass destruction!

What weapon, you might ask? It is the long-forgotten finger gun.

With their finger weapons perfectly cocked and the rampant riddling of bullets, the Slurpee kids have no other option than to fight the invisible Bad Guys that are  plaguing our local parks. My mom-like mind says the “politically correct” thing to do is to hide the “weapons of mass destruction” and encourage a more Smurf-like activity, such as basket weaving.

But, why? It’s not really a weapon; it’s not even a questionable toy. In reality, it’s a young kid with a two-and-a-half-inch finger and a wild imagination who wants to be a hero. Is it politically correct to squash his imagination for the benefit of what “they” might say? 

No. So, I forget about the “taboo” associated with the thought of encouraging guns and let the kids be the heroes that they yearn to be.  

But first, I am instructed, the rules are the most important. What are they? My 5-year-old made sure to let me know that he is “half man and half ghost”. OK, got it, you’re half man, half ghost. 

“The bad guys can be shot and scared away but no one can shoot me.” OK, got it. “If I get shot, the bullet will go right through me because I will live forever.” OK, got it.  My counterpart is indestructible, but I'm not. “You can get shot.”  OK (gulp), got it? I mean, got it! 

All the rules are now written in stone and we are ready to defend our park against the Bad Guys.

“Whoa!” “What was that?!?!” “I just ducked from a misfired bullet!”

“Run!” “Bang! Bang!” 

“He’s coming for more!” “Bang, bang, bang!” 

“Oh no! The Bad Guy got away!”

The dust settled and invisible bullets lay everywhere throughout the park. The playground equipment is severely undamaged by the destruction. The kids are out of breath and can’t go on anymore.

“What are we going to do?” I asked my counterpart.

“I’m thirsty, can we go?” he replied.

The amazing feats that just happened don’t even faze the Slurpee kids, especially my little counterpart. The Slurpee kids are running, they are playing and they are having a great time with a finger gun. Today may have not been such a memorable day for them but it taught me a great lesson about enjoying the journey of summer even if it is a little “taboo.”