At nine years old, I had an amazing marble collection. Green or blue cat eyes were my favorite. Most of the kids I played against weren’t great shooters, so I acquired quite the collection of marbles after each game. After a while, no one wanted to play against me and baseball card trading took the place of our after school marble games.
Marbles is a fascinating game that dates back to early Rome, Egypt, and Greece. Originally the game was played with polished nuts or smooth rocks, eventually evolving into stone or clay formations. Finally, in the mid-19th century, a German glassblower invented a special type of scissor that cut molten glass. Glass marbles became affordable for the first time, changing the game of marbles from then forward.
In the game of marbles, each person has a shooter. The shooter is larger than all the other marbles, or mibs. The goal is to aim the shooter at the mibs inside the circle and knock as many as possible outside the ring. Each mib outside the ring is either added to the shooter’s collection or counted a point, depending on the agreed upon rules.
If the shooter wants to win, they must shoot straight. If they have not determined and practiced their shot with the shooter marble, then they are not likely to have much success.
The same goes for us. We must determine our direction, aim, and shoot. If we get distracted or out of practice, then our shooter will not go the direction we planned. Shooting straight doesn’t just happen. It’s intentional. Planned. Calculated.
Where are you aiming? Are you shooting and hoping for the best? Or are you headed in a purposeful direction?
Choose to shoot straight this week. You won’t regret it.
(The National Game of Play: www.museumofplay.org/toys/marbles)