Marbles: So Old, It's New

On those days when you're feeling pummeled by technology, why not unplug everything for an hour and play marbles. You heard me. This is good, old-fashioned type stuff. Dig out a jar of marbles and dig deep into nostalgia. You may even be able to stretch back into your memory and recall your grandpa. That's who taught me how to play. Well, mine, not yours. I was probably about six.

First, we took turns carefully selecting our marbles from the large clear glass candy jar they were kept in. I remember I always had to have the one that was a perfect robin's egg blue and another one that had a white and yellow splotch and a burnt red strip in its center that we called bacon and eggs. Ultimately, we each chose six marbles. I don't remember what the colors of the other ones may have been but I do know that Grandpa presided over this selection ceremony in a very solemn manner and I always strove to make as strategic choices as possible.

Next, we went outside and Grandpa would draw a very large circle on the driveway. Of course, I was little, so everything seemed huge. Our 12 marbles were arranged in the shape of an “X” inside the ring. A neutral marble was laid in the center and then we lined out six in one direction and six in the other. Who went first was determined by “lagging.” That's when each player kneels down, puts their knuckles on the outside of the circle and flips their large “Shooter” marble as close to the opposite boundary as possible. I always had to have the orange colored cats-eye Shooter. It seemed almost magical. The person whose marble lands closest to the opposite side, without going over, gets to go first.

Now it's a matter of trying to shoot each other's marbles out of the ring while keeping your Shooter in the ring. Your Shooter acts like the cue ball in pool. As long as it stays in the ring and you shoot out your opponent's little marble, you can keep going and pick up your next shot from where the Shooter lies. If your Shooter shoots out of the large ring or you fail to hit a marble out of the ring, your turn is up and it's the other player's chance. If you accidentally shoot one of your own marbles out, your turn is also over and that marble counts for your opponent. First one to shoot out all of the opponent's marbles, plus the seventh neutral one, wins.

I never did it, but Grandad could easily shoot out all of those seven marbles consecutively. He could even call out which one was going out next, just like pool. I remember he only did it a couple of times and then I think he decided to take it easier on me so I would keep on playing. Grandma probably talked to him.

There are as many marble games as there are grandfathers and I don't think there's anything wrong with making up a new game either. The important thing is to get out of the ordinary video game rut and try something new. Try something old. Teach a child. They'll remember you for it.

Or to really spice things up, play for "keepsies."