I have a 15 year old son, who's name is Jared. I don't dictate his life to him, nor should I. I give him my advice and hope that he will understand that this info doesn't come from me wanting to control him. He has a best friend (Jorel) yesterday, June 6th was his friends birthday. He was invited to go to a paint ball party. Hm, I have heard of paint balling, and I was told it can be very dangerous. I questioned him to make sure that this is what he wanted to do, and I asked if people under the age of 18 could even participate. He wasn't sure on the age limit, but he enlightened me to how his friend Jorel said that his father would be playing as well as his sister (who is in her late 20's) and his cousin. He went on to say how they like to get rough with it. OK, you're thinking, why didn't she stop him from going? Well I couldn't. This is his friend and he must make his own decisions. Jared began to paint (no pun intended) a very painful image of what was to come at this paint ball party. He said things like: "Well the father doesn't like to lose so he shoots you in the head and between your legs." The cousin sneaks up behind you and hits you with the butt of the gun and while you are on the ground writhing in pain, he shoots you up close."
OK, now I'm starting to worry. But, I didn't say no. I told him instead, "Just tell them you don't play like that."
OK, permission slip was signed (and yes if your child is under 18 you have to sign a waiver. Absolving the paint ball place from any injuries your child may obtain.) Jared seemed thrilled. We looked on the web for images of people playing paint ball. It looked like they were wearing fatigues and armor. The guns, well they looked a little to real for me. We read that the balls are coming at you around 200 mph! Huh? that is pretty damn fast, won't that really hurt upon impact? Well of course it would, if you weren't wearing the armor.
Can you see where this is going?
Yeah! I got the call! "Mom! I'm bleeding and it hurts so badly! They wouldn't stop shooting me! They shot me in the B%lls! Please Mom it hurts!" He is brought home. At first I thought, "well he needed this lesson." Then I saw him. OMG! what did they do to my son? Wasn't he wearing armor? Jared, was riddled with paint ball bruises on his upper and lower body. Some of the bruises were bleeding and had paint in the wounds. I was beside myself, I felt so bad for him. I had to clean paint out of the wounds. He was a real trooper with that.
OK, so why am I'm blogging about it? Wasn't it just a paint ball party? Doesn't this happen when you play war with balls whizzing by you at 200 mph? I signed the waiver? Yes, all of this is true but, my son is 15 not 18, and should have had on the proper armor and the participants should have stopped shooting once he surrendered! What? did I just type surrender? I thought this was a sport not war! How silly of me to think that a shooting game was just that, a game. It isn't and it shouldn't be played by anyone under the age of 18!
If you have to sign a waiver, you shouldn't let your child do it.
This photo is only one of the many bruises. I hope that whomever reads this will see that, Paint balling isn't a sport nor a game, it's WAR!
