Chapter 6: The Fishing Pond "Game"

               Our backyard sandbox, with Sacred Heart Church in the background.

One of the things I really enjoyed about Sacred Heart Church was that it hosted a festival every summer, held in the back parking lot/basketball courts – which, of course, meant it was right across the alley from our house. Come Saturday night, everyone went to 4:00 p.m. mass and then headed to the festival. Most of the adults made a beeline to the beer garden, whereas the kids took off to another place: the games.

My brothers and I dipped into our meager allowances so we could buy as many game tokens as possible. From there, we would try our luck at the classic games, like ring toss or the basketball hoop. I tried every one but soon discovered that all of those games were a mere waste of time when there was The Fishing Pond “game.”

Now The Fishing Pond can’t be called a game exactly; that’s because there’s truly no skill required. For those of you who aren’t familiar with it, it’s the game of choice if your kid is uncoordinated, lazy, or uncompetitive. For a mere 25-cent ticket, a kid takes a makeshift fishing pole with a clothespin instead of a hook. The line is then “cast” over a curtained booth decorated like a pond, where someone behind the curtain attaches a prize. Easiest. Game. Ever.

Naturally, I loved The Fishing Pond. I would gladly hand over my game token and take my chances on a prize; most of the time I liked what I got. After all, who’s going to give an adorable 5-year-old Catholic girl a bad prize? That would be nobody.

Fast-forward about 35 years. My friend was helping with a fall festival at a local senior center and guess what? They had The Fishing Pond game! It has stood the test of time! My friend needed help manning the game, so naturally I volunteered. It was my big chance to go behind the scenes of The Fishing Pond! I was so in. I had always wondered what went on back there.