The Stakeholders Three Legged Race

Partnerships that lead to successful students

A hundred years ago, communities came together, usually in the spring and in the fall. They would go to a local park or open field and play a host of games. One game they played was horse shoes, where they would try to toss a horse shoe at a peg that was roughly six feet away. Another game that they enjoyed was a three-legged race. In a three-legged race, they would form a line of partners, shoulder to shoulder. One of the two partners would tie his or her right leg to the other partner's left leg, forming three “legs.” The pairs would then race. In a different game, known as the potato sack race, individuals would climb inside a large bag that had once held potatoes or flour. The participants would line up and hop to the finish line. Some of their games were more challenging than others, but the goal was to laugh and enjoy others’ company.

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In the evening, they would build a bonfire and drink hot chocolate. In the fall, sometimes a local farmer would pull up in a tractor, offering hay rides. There was always a lot of food and fun for everyone who came.

Many have exchanged community for the pursuit of a happiness that they will never find. There are several manifestations of this pursuit. I wrote about one in an article recently about the war on drugs.