Before I had even arrived I had a really nice surprise. While
I was in route I was listening to one of my favorite nationally syndicated radio
programs, the Bob and Sheri show, when I was pleasantly startled by my own
voice! At the beginning of the third hour (roughly at the 47 minute mark) they
had included a pre-recorded plug for Laser Tag Day that I did not expect would
be used after the fact, but how nice to hear that it was included on the show
anyway!
Shortly thereafter I arrived at the meeting destination. I
had been invited to speak about my adventures laser tagging America and give a
presentation as part of the literary program to members of the Floyd Grange. I
appreciated being welcomed to talk to the group about my journey. There were
about 14 attendees who gathered in a member’s home this night instead of the
meeting hall, so it was a really intimate gathering and an informal discussion,
but also an opportunity for me to raise awareness about what laser tag is…and what
it is not.
I began my talk by bringing out a Laserforce Gen 6 pack from
my collection and explaining how laser tag works and showing them the features
of the pack.
Because I know that sometimes people who are not familiar
with the game tend to have questions about the phaser I also took a moment to
explain that this is called a “hand held unit” or “phaser” and it’s used to
deactivate the lights using the words “zap”, “tag” or “target” because this is
a non-violent sport game so the semantics matter for anyone who might have been
concerned that it could resemble a weapon. After addressing this point I moved
on to share some of my favorite memories from my trips to various states.
I shared photos of some particularly unique experiences
like the time I got to play laser tag with Olympic athletes in Denver, Colorado
and how members of the National Guard came out to play tag with me in Wasilla,
Alaska. I showed them some of the more interesting arenas I’ve played in and related
the stories I had been told about how people were housed at Laser Tag of Baton
Rouge, Louisiana in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. I shared the fitness focus
of the laser tag/parkour hybrid of LasRFit in Los Angeles, California and the
finale of my journey playing laser tag with George Carter near where it all
started in the area around Dallas, Texas. It was such a nice opportunity for me
to reflect on the memories as well as share them with others. I thank the Floyd
Grange for inviting me to give this presentation.
When the meeting was over one member hung back to ask me
a question that I really appreciated having a chance to answer. She wanted to
know if I think that games like this have any connection to the gun violence and
the school shootings that we hear about in the news. I was glad she asked me about
this because it gave me an opportunity to explain that I definitely do NOT
believe that there is any connection. Just the opposite really. Laser tag is a
very social game. It is completely family friendly and non-violent, right down
to the terminology that is used. There is no physical contact permitted in this
game. Laser tag fosters friendly competition and is also a great form of
exercise that releases endorphins. For all these reasons I think laser tag is a
very healthy activity for people of all ages to enjoy, so I disagree with any
suggestion that there could be a connection. And yet I am very glad that she asked
me about this because it gave me a chance to address her question with facts
about all the positive benefits that people of all ages can experience through
playing the game. I left the meeting feeling like I had shared some great
memories, but also brought some enlightenment about the game that I love so
much. Thank you to the Floyd Grange for the opportunity to talk about tag!
Comments or Questions?
Contact: Tivia@tiviachickloveslasertag.com
Websites: www.tiviachickloveslasertag.com
and www.photonforever.com
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