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Hernando Today

Stick Is Obvious Choice For Toy Hall of Fame

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KYLE MARTIN

Hernando Today

Published: November 11, 2008

I was both pleased and upset to learn that the common stick had made it into the National Toy Hall of Fame last Thursday.

That's right, the stick. As in the, fallen from a tree, "you're going to poke your eye out don't swing that at your brother it's going to take several stitches to sew that up" stick.

I was pleased because the stick - without question - has only one rival as the greatest toy ever. And that toy already made it into the Rochester, N.Y.-based Strong National Museum of Play in 2005

Any guesses? C'mon, it's a cliche. It's the cardboard box, of course. As in the "I'm going to strap this cardboard to my arms and jump off the roof to see if I can fly" cardboard box. But I'll sing the praises of that choice piece of childhood later.

For a boy, the stick is first and foremost a weapon. Determining what type of weapon can be accomplished in a few easy steps. Heft is a key element here. How easy is it to swing? If you're straining to lift it over your head: you're moving out of stick territory and into log country, and it's probably best to just chuck it at your target.

An ideal stick will be thick enough to give you a satisfying "whiff" sound when you swing it, but still light enough to swing at maximum speed. This stick is best suited as a bow staff to knock out Robin Hood, or a light saber to take on Luke Skywalker (or Darth Vader, if your older brother is in a generous mood.)

Of course, you can always just "swordfight," meaning a lot of spastic swinging with occasional contact ending with bruised knuckles and someone crying. Give it five minutes, then repeat.

Here's what it sounds like: Crack, crack, whiff, crack, whiff, crack, OW! My knuckles! Crack, Whiff, Whiff, Crack, OW! You jerk! Mom!

One of my favorite memories is when my Dad showed me how to toss a stick into a river and throw rocks at the "ship" as it floated away with the current. (Rocks are another great weapon.)

And if nothing else, the stick always makes a handy gun.

The museum calls all this "spontaneous, unstructured play" in a press release and touts the stick's ability to "be used in unendingly imaginative ways."

Duh.

My only grief with this selection is that is should have been the first thing to make it into the Hall of Fame of toys. More than other inductees, including the G.I. Joe, the jump rope, the roller skate, even the teddy bear, the stick lords over them all.

Now get out there and whack something.

Reporter Kyle Martin can be reached at 352-544-5271 or kmartin@hernandotoday.com.

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