Growing up, every minute of every single day was time to play. Not because we did not have chores, but because no one could stand between us and the games we played. There was always a game for every season/ time. In the morning while we helped out with the chores at home, we played the less chaotic games like ‘Kawuna’. The aim of this game was for your opponents to find your fingers or legs crossed at every single moment or then you would be “IT”, which basically made you the loser. As soon as we finished having lunch, then the main act would begin. We played from an abandoned field in the neighborhood that was the center point for us all from our different homes. ‘Kakebe’ (hide and seek) was a favourite for many of us, and so was ‘kwepena’ (dodgeball ) because we got to run around and shout at the top of our lungs like we had no care in the world, not like we did anyway.
While some of the older boys separated themselves from the group to play soccer, the younger ones were all over the place involved in every other game. There was a group skipping rope while chanting the songs that followed, others played ‘buladda’, which involved extensive parting of your legs and jumping over ropes, then there was another group playing ‘sipolingi’ (simple ring), while others ran around screaming just for the fun of it. And for the next 5 hours or so, that is all we did. The feeling was extremely exhilarating because there, in that very moment, we were living life to its fullest.
Today’s children on the other hand might sadly never experience this. Not only are there no more open spaces to accommodate the stretching these games require but technology has also changed everything. These games are now being played online on digital screens like tablets and this will never amount to what we experienced. They will never get to scream and hide behind big dusty stones or get their clothes extremely dirty and sweaty that they were beyond the point of being washed back to their original colours.
Looking back, I now realize that aside from releasing endorphins, we actually learned so much from these games. We learned the value of teamwork and relationship building without even knowing it. Kicking the tin during ‘kakebe’ meant that you had rescued all your friends that had already been caught from their hiding spots and they were automatically back in the game, and if that was not teamwork, then maybe we have the definition all wrong. Making friends was so much easier then because even before you knew someone’s name, we already had a unifying factor, the love for playing, and that was enough. We were undeniably the happiest while we played.
I’ve always asked myself what stage of my life I would want to relive if given the chance and this would be it, undoubtedly.
By Racheal Bridget
Babirye
Comments