Bubble Gum Bubble Gum

I had a cousin named Tony who would visit the ranch every summer with his Dad after school ended. They resided somewhere in Washington state. Tony, being a few years older than us, seemed to view us as bothersome little pests. However, when he wanted to play “war,” he required our presence. Since he was bigger than us, we all wanted to be on his team.

To determine the team members, he would make us play a game called “Bubble Gum Bubble Gum.” We would gather in a circle, placing our feet inside with our toes touching. Tony would begin by pointing at one foot and saying “Bubble gum.” Then, he would move on to the next foot, repeating the phrase “Bubble gum.” This process would continue until he completed a full rotation.

“Bubble gum Bubble gum in the dish, how many pieces do you wish?” he would ask. The owner of the foot to which he was pointing would respond with a number, and Tony would proceed to count to that number, pointing to each foot in succession. “1, 2, 3, and you are NOT IT,” he would declare.

It always puzzled and worried me how he determined whether someone was “NOT IT” or “IT” seemingly at random. It wasn’t until much later that I realized Tony had the ability to decide for himself whether the chosen foot belonged to someone he desired on his team or not.