The 23-Year Game of Tag

Sometimes you read things that defy the ordinary nature of life. Here’s one: a group of friends has played a game of tag for the last 23 years. It’s regulated–I kid you not–by a legal document.

Please, avail yourself:

Mr. Dennehy and nine of his friends have spent the past 23 years locked in a game of “Tag.”

It started in high school when they spent their morning break darting around the campus of Gonzaga Preparatory School in Spokane, Wash. Then they moved on—to college, careers, families and new cities. But because of a reunion, a contract and someone’s unusual idea to stay in touch, tag keeps pulling them closer. Much closer.

The game they play is fundamentally the same as the schoolyard version: One player is “It” until he tags someone else. But men in their 40s can’t easily chase each other around the playground, at least not without making people nervous, so this tag has a twist. There are no geographic restrictions and the game is live for the entire month of February. The last guy tagged stays “It” for the year.

That means players get tagged at work and in bed. They form alliances and fly around the country. Wives are enlisted as spies and assistants are ordered to bar players from the office.

Read the whole thing (and look for the movie!).

If you read this blog, you know that I decry the “goofball” model of manhood. But I’m sorry, this is just awesome–it’s long-term friendship and guys being fun and a bit of insanity that characterizes many men all rolled into one.