Possum

I found out from some very reliable sources that my boys have been playing a game called 'Possum'.

They've been going out at dusk (their curfew is 8pm on a school night and 9pm on a weekend) and laying themselves in a carefully arranged prone/supine position on or near the street and waiting for a car to come along. When said car gets close enough, they jump up, shriek and run away.

The aim of the game is to either a) startle the driver of the car or b) have the driver of the car think that they're ill or injured and THEN jump up and startle them.

*sigh*

I have tried to explain to them that startled drivers tend to do some very unusual and unpredictable things, but they're not getting it. My eldest boy asked how what they're doing is different to their dad or I running in the dark, feeling tired, bending down to rest, then standing up as a car came by, thereby startling the driver.

Clearly he has not grasped the concept of intent and deliberate actions yet. I have spent an hour this evening trying to explain it to him, but I fear this has been a fruitless enterprise.

In any event, they are both on punishment for their folly.

Folly that I am going to go snicker about when I get done writing this, because I played the same game when I was their age. I was just smart enough to NOT get caught....