Let's take a trip down memory lane; I grew up in the projects of Elizabeth, NJ yea that town that if your driving down the NJ turnpike you'll get the sudden smell of Sulfur burning your nose hairs like Pepsi did Michael in the 80's. Most of my friends were Po' you know so Poor they couldn't afford the O.R. Luckily I was just Poor. So there wasn't many go next door and borrow some sugar from Ms. Pam days growing up, the Kool-aid was always sweet and if we were lucky we had a 3 liter of Pineapple C&C soda. I remember in those days kids would still go outside to play. We didn't have slip and slides or the Phaser gun set we played some pretty primitive games. You know hide and seek, freeze tag, 1 2 3 red light, Mother May I, and my favorite Catch a Girl Get A Girl. But one game in particular stands out in my memory today. It is Snatchees', what's Snatchees you might ask well it's simple, if you see one of your broke friends with some candy you sneak up on him and snatch his bag of candy out his hand and scream SNATCHEES!!! (This was the second time I got robbed) Looking back on it now this is nothing more than training to be criminals and petty thieves.

RULES OF SNATCHEES

You pinky lock in w/ a group of your PO' friends – This now gives you free reign to snatch whatever it is they have in the hand, a license to steal. Let say little June Bug got a dollar for his birthday and he went to the store to get some penny candy (Yes Youngster's candy actually used to cost a penny) and you see him walking down the street w/ that brown bag of candy goodness you have the right to snatch it. Also included Momma's groceries, toys, water guns, or anything they have in their hands that you want. Remember it's a license to steal.

You have to call it – If you plan on snatching something from someone you must call it, you must say Snatchees and not just say it you got to SCREAM it "SNATCHEES"!!!! If they don't call it see rule number 3. Plus calling it gives you respect around the hood. "Yo Lamar is the Snatchee King, Word is Bond, you saw how he Snatched Leroy's Chips the other day?" If you're a good snatcher you were bound to get put on the team of your local Pharmaceutical Corner Representative. This means you were no longer BROKE b/c you now have a job working for Kingpin Kareem.

You just got robbed B – If someone snatches your bag of blow pops, sugar daddies, and sour cream and onion chips without calling it, you have to fight him, or b/c since he didn't call it you just got robbed. It's the rules of the game. But be careful if you start a fight and dude called it, and you try to weasel out of the pinky lock agreement you will get black balled from all hood activities for the rest of the summer. 9 year old, 200 Lbs Lil Shawn and the rest of the gang will instruct ever one not to play with you any more b/c you cry when people snatch your stuff. Then they will call you momma every name in the book; including but not excluded to you mama so fat that she jumped up in the air and got stuck, or my personal favorite, Your Momma looks like a broke Genie she hops out of Heineken bottle and pass out food stamps and WIC checks.

What was your favorite Childhood Game?

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