Playground etiquette is strict. The “top kid” – whoever they may be gets to make the rules. No matter how strange and convoluted the rules are, everyone has to abide by them. The alpha dog on the playground could declare the ball had to be bounced twice before hitting it, unless your last name ended with a vowel, in which case you had to bounce the ball three times before hitting it back . . . and everyone would obey.

Why? The punishment for not following the rules was always swift and sure. You were kicked out of the game and ostracized by the pack. Nobody wanted that.

Those silly playground games did teach us three things about life: 1) there are always rules to follow; 2) there is always a rule-maker around; and 3) there will always be rebellious rule-breakers. It is our life assig…