Remember the childhood game that settled every argument? No, not thumb wrestling (or even arm wrestling, for that matter.) I’m referring to “rock-paper-scissors.” Sure, it’s fun to flip a coin or draw straws, but nothing says childhood like this favorite classic.
If you don’t know that rock beats scissors, then you might need to reconnect with your inner 8-year-old and think back to the simpler days of childhood – the days when disputes were so inconsequential that silly hand gesture games could resolve them in less than a minute.
Oh, if only adulthood could be that simple.
Well, apparently a federal judge in Tampa thought so a few years ago. K&J Nation member Steven S. shared with us an article about a childlike judge who made two arguing attorneys (hard to imagine, I know) play rock-paper-scissors to determine the location for retrieving a sworn statement from a witness. (Thanks for sharing Steven!) How cool is this judge?!
The most interesting part of this story was the poll on the website asking, “Was the judge right to impose a ‘rock-paper-scissors’ order on the attorneys?” The two choices were: 1) Yes: He sure was, embarrassing them that way will teach them to get along, and 2) No: It only makes the judge look childish.
Of course I voted “Yes.” After voting, I noticed that out of 36,083 votes, 92% also voted yes with only 8% voting no. These numbers give me hope regarding Adultitis and tell me that maybe us grown-ups need to (and want to, as indicated by the 92%) stop taking ourselves so darn seriously. So, in an effort to help you do that, here are 9 adulthood decisions you can make using “rock-paper-scissors.” Feel free to get creative and add your own in the comments.
- Who has to change the dirty diaper?
- Who has to pump the gas on a cold wintry night?
- Who has to bring the car for an oil change?
- Who has to change the printer cartridge?
- Who has to take out the garbage?
- Who has to mow the lawn?
- Who has to do the dishes?
- Who has to vacuum the car?
- Who has to go grocery shopping?
P.S. You’ll notice, all of these tasks are often Adultitis-inducing. So, why not mix it up and have some fun with it? Silly fun like this is a simple way to take the dread out of daily chores.
P.S.S. If you’re a R-P-S fan, check out our cool t-shirt!
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Funny you should write about this! At my job in after school care for Kindergarteners, we read them stories every Monday. Last Monday, my coworker and I were arguing over who had to read so we played rock, paper, scissors for it! I lost, but playing that classic game lightened my mood and reading didn’t seem so bad.
Ha! Funny to hear that even losing at RPS can help counter Adultitis. Good for you, Jillian!
I actually use this in my 5th grade classroom. It is great. No one argues with the results! There is no strategy that I am aware of at least. This makes it an equalizer for all of them.