Michel is a recreational crokinole enthusiast. As a boy, my most pleasant memories were with my group of friends playing crokinole. Upon reflection on those early days, I came to appreciate that the game was more than just a pastime for me. Like most of the other boys in my age group when the weather was good, we raced our bikes or played hockey on a local outdoor rink. However, when the weather was poor there was no arguing as to where you’d find my group of friends and me. It was at someone’s home where the crokinole board came out along with the laughter and excitement that goes with it. As the years went by my friends and I parted ways to take on adult lives and as a result crokinole ceased to play a role in my life. That is until a few years ago when I saw the game being played on YouTube. Suddenly, the images of my childhood friends and our amusements came back to me complete with all the emotions of friendship and joy. Today crokinole is back in my life with a vengeance. I now play with my family and present-day friends. Sometimes when game day is over, I find myself travelling back in time when crokinole was not just a game but part of my childhood. Michel Cloutier