Never Take a Tag
Do you want to take the tag? Last fall, I was offered a ‘tag’ during a paintball match. Being new to the sport, I didn’t understand what the referee was wanting me to answer. He then shouted, “Do you want to walk away?”. Instantly and nearly in unison, I shouted ‘NO!’ and the referee belted “game on!” My adrenaline saturated opponent stood up and point blank range unloaded on me. The resulting impact to my ribs reminded me of the Far Side comic: Bummer of a Birthmark Hal!
I could have ‘taken the tag’ and skipped the bruising. But for the rest of that day, I would have repeatedly been a victim of ‘death by proxy’ as other players would decide to stand next to me and yell “tag!”. Take a hit and wear a bruise. Take a tag and forever by an easy target. This was a temporary bruise barely more than surface deep and a bigger bruise to my ego than to my skin. But in retrospect, I learned a valuable life lesson.
Have you ever been in a situation where you were offered the easy way out? What would have been the immediate price? What would have been the long term cost?
Never take a tag.
© 2012, Kelly Orr. All rights reserved. Contact author for republishing permission.