These Dudes Have Been Playing A Game Of Tag... For 23 Years!

Generally, when friends graduate from high school, they go their separate ways — to college, the workforce, their parents' basement — and lose touch with each other. But this group of friends, who went to high school together in Spokane, Washington, have managed to stay close. And they do this by staying far apart, from one member of the group at least. They have a 23 year-long standing game of tag. Which is, to me, the most horrifying way to play tag.

These children are already trapped in their eternal prison.
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This endless game of tag started when the group was in high school, when the game was scheduled to end on their last day. On that fateful day, Joe Tombari tried and failed to tag one of his friends and was therefore dubbed "It" for life. But eight years later, he and his friends reconvened and decided to start the game up again.

And now, Tombari and his friends live in a perpetual state of fear. Mike Konesky broke into the house of Brian Dennehy's house late at night to tag him. Sean Raftis once jumped out of the trunk of a car to catch Tombari, and scared Mrs. Tombari into falling and injuring her knee.

This groups' feelings, their humanity, has been purged. They care about nothing but Tag.
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The group, now in their 40s, has limited to the game to the month of February, since no man can live with this danger looming over their year-round. At the end of the month, whoever is It is It for the entire year. Consolidating all this high-pressure tag action into one month means that is one month these men spend without sleep.

This is what the city of Akron, Ohio looks like after a month without sleep.
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The game was ostensibly started for the group to keep in touch, but after Mike Konesky traveled across the country to wait in the bushes and tag Chris Ammann and not only didn't tag him, but didn't even see him, that pretense went out the window. I initially wanted to talk some sense into these guys. If you're flying across the country to see your friend, just go see your friend. But after considering it for a second, I wondered who I was to tell someone else how best to keep in touch with the people in their lives? It seems ridiculous to me, sure, but if waiting in the bushes and attacking the knees of their spouses makes these guys feel connected to each other, then by all means. But be warned, a long-standing game with friends doesn't guarantee that you'll stay in touch.