Hide and Seek

When I was a kid, Hide and Seek was one of my favorite games. The house I grew up in had no shortage of hiding spots - small dark closets, furniture, under beds, a great many rooms. My backyard had trees and bushes perfect for covering a small blonde female.

What makes Hide and Seek so thrilling?

I literally got a super attack of butterflies every time I heard the seeker come near my spot. During each game I tried not to repeat spots too many times, to up the chances of remaining unfound.

I played as a child with my cousins, as a tween with my friends and my sister. The challenge was in the chase. I never liked Hide and Seek tag, mind you. I have never been the most athletic person in the world. To me, the game is about being the most cunning, not the fastest.

What would an all Boston Hide and Seek game look like?

First of all, i-phone users, turn off that foursquare. The great Hide and Seek match of Boston, 2011, is on.

Rules: Hide anywhere within a specific border. You may change spots as often as you like. Once you are found, the seeker(s) check you off an electronic list. You may also continue to hide, for if there are multiple seekers the point is for a seeker to find the most hiders. You can mess with the rest of the seekers and let them think you are hiding and therefore make them keep looking for you while other, unfound hiders remain unfound.

Where would one hide?
In line at Starbucks
Behind a newspaper
In the stacks at the BPL
Under a pew inside Trinity Church
Dressing room at Second Time Around
Within racks of coats at Lord and Taylor
Under a blanket on the Esplanade
In a tree
The sale section at Urban Outfitters
Pretending to sign up for Boston Sports Club
The Paperchase section of Borders
Behind the towers on the Longfellow Bridge
The dugout at Fenway park (Ha, if only a mere mortal could get in there!)
Anywhere on the B line, it moves so slowly that a seeker would never catch up (mwahaha)
The second or basement floors at the CVS on Boylston or Newbury, respectively (didn't know there was another level? Now you do!)
In the pond in the Public Garden (gross, but resourceful)
Louisburg Square on Beacon Hill - no one can ever remember how to get there from Charles Street
Behind a group of hipsters (immerse yourself in their irony and superior music taste)
Within an Asian tour group (Asian participants only)

Now, as I walk home, I will be on the lookout for the next awesome hiding spot!