Growing up in our 70s suburb of Minneapolis meant big yards and no fences.  Add into that summer nights when it didn’t get dark early, none of today’s tv streaming options, a new-ish neighborhood full of kids and you get the perfect conditions for hide and seek.  

I, of course, was a little too scared in the evenings to hide by myself. I would tag along with one of my older sisters or one of my younger brothers until we found the perfect spot. There we would wait patiently and hope that whoever was our ‘seeker’ would fail – and we’d hear those magic words: “Olly Olly Oxen Free!!”

Wikipedia tells us, ” ‘Olly Olly Oxen Free’ is a catchphrase or truce term used in children’s games such as hide and seek, capture the flag, and kick the can to indicate that players who are hiding can come out into the open without losing the game or that the position of the sides in a game has changed (as in which side is on the field or which side is at bat or ‘up’ in baseball or kickball); alternatively, that the game is entirely over.

The origin of the phrase is unknown. The Dictionary of American Regional English says the phrase may be derived from all ye, all ye outs in free, all the outs in free, or possibly ‘calling all the outs in free’; in other words, all who are out may come in without penalty. Others speculate the phrase may be a corruption of a hypothetical and ungrammatical German phrase alle, alle, auch sind frei (all, all, also are free).”

In honor of the start of summer, maybe you can think of some things that you need to call out in the open, some beliefs that you need to call a truce with, or some thoughts that you can set free?

In order to get you thinking, here’s a list adapted from Tracey Sofra:

1. I can’t do this.
2. I’m not worthy of ________. 
3. I don’t deserve ________. 
4. I’m not ready yet.
5. This is too hard.
6. I can’t change.
7. I don’t have enough ________.
8. I’m not good at _________.
9. I don’t have time for this.
10. I don’t know how to ____________.

Pick one.  

Really. 

Pick one.

Got it?

Ok. I’ll go first. 

I picked “I can’t change.”

This year I am setting that belief free.  How? I’m deciding I can change – and to prove it, I’m giving myself one year to like seafood.  (Gulp!)  I don’t like being the girl who doesn’t like fish and I’m tired of believing I can’t change it. 

Taste buds regenerate every two weeks.  That means I can gradually change mine. 

Olly Olly Oxen Free!

How could your life be different if you acknowledge your thinking in one area and call a truce. I can’t wait to hear about it. 

And if you need help, I’ll be here!  Eating a teeny tiny piece of halibut.  (Baby steps, people!)

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