Well, when I was in fifth grade, I went to a friend's birthday party and his parents took us to a place called Photon

Which I imagine you've never heard of, but you've probably all been to places called like laser tag or laser rage or some place where you run around and cheat each other with lasers

Well, Photon was like the great grandpa of your modern laser experience. All right

This was back in the 80s when lasers were first coming out and so our only reference point was Star Wars

And so as we drove there, we were like are we gonna shoot holes in each other?

Are we willing to do this like how do I feel about this and we were unsure but after a little while we had all gotten hopped up on Jolt Cola

And so we were ready to go for it

And so we showed up all amped up and they told us whoa whoa whoa before you jump in there

You got to watch the instructional video and so they ushered a bunch of us 10 year olds into this little room

Shut all the lights off all the adults left and shut the door

Which when you're 10 that was a little unnerving. We were like okay, so what's happening?

And we didn't get long to think about it before this massive metallic female head

Came shooting out towards us and started to tell us that Photon was the most extreme experience

We were about to have and that we weren't prepared for this and as she spoke to us

I was like okay, I believe you I'm not sure anymore and she did this and then they turned the lights on and they took us down

Into this locker room where these college age guys started outfitting us in like helmets and shoulder pads and Kevlar and all this gear

And the whole time they're trying to amp us up there like are you ready for the young man?

And I'm like I'm pretty sure I'm not anymore. I know it's totally freaked out

But I remember right in that moment the sirens go off lights go doors open and they shove us into this massive arena

And I'll tell you I

freaked out

And I looked down in that moment and I had colors on my outfit that matched colors on one side of the room

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