A Summer Evening at Pinball Pete’s in Ann Arbor 

“Dad, can we PLEASE go to Pinball Pete’s if we don’t go swimming?”

I figured a mellow evening was in store, since the rain stayed away and the kids went swimming all day. There was no chance the kids would have the energy to want to hit campus this evening.

But no, a third or fourth wind hit and our two plus three neighborhood kids clamored for the chance to hit one of our favorite campus stops.

Nothing screams fun for the kids like multiple games of, uh, whatever they are playing, to score that most important of currency, the arcade ticket.

Accumulate enough tickets and you might end up with a bottle or four of disappearing ink or other cheap plastic delights.

But I understand it’s not the trinkets that are the reward. The kids are thrilled to be out, playing some games together with friends and then adding all of their tickets into one community stash, before the important walk to the prize counter.

Much math is done, to figure out how many tickets each has to “spend.”

I am pleased to see the older siblings share their more bountiful “win” with the younger siblings.

I want to be that young again. When the most important decision is what color plastic ring or flavor of lollipop I should bring home from Pete’s.

Summer rules.