Through a cruel twist of fate we ended up on opposite sides of this conflict. Now I have an inkling of how my ancestors must have felt as they wore different colored uniforms during the blue and grey conflict.

My dear, sweet, baby boy who I raised with loving tenderness was now my sworn enemy...if I so much as raise my head, he will without hesitation paint my scalp a different color.

Then I found myself staring down the sights of my weapon...his turned silhouette told me he'd never see the shot coming. I tightened my grip on the trigger and before I fully realized what I was about to do, I pulled the trigger. Fortunately the shot went wildly off to the left, splashing harmlessly on a nearby concrete bunker. I rolled back behind my hiding spot and vowed to never raise my paintball marker at my son again.

My breath was short and rapid and sweat stung my eyes as I tried to clear my fogged mask. I was the one to be caught off guard that day. During this vunerable moment of confusion...another young man, who I consider one of my own, splattered me into kingdom come. His 245 pound frame came flying across my bunker like a crazed acrobat. Firing round after round as he twisted in mid air, screaming like a Banshee Warrior. "Hey, I'm dead already...save your paint" I said. Just before firing a burst at his unprotected backside as he walked away. Yes, War is hell.

This is the way we chose to share our birthday. My twins and I were born on the same day...just a few dozen years apart. I'm not sure what the message is that we're sending our kids when we share such a battlefield. I don't know if they're learning anything. But it sure is fun. Unless you have to do a "birthday run." That's when whoever is having a birthday "volunteers" to run down a firing line of all the party guests. If you're 40 something years young and your party guests are blood thirsty 11-year-olds, I wouldn't recommend that. But after all the bloodshed and I finally stopped crying, I did ask my youngest son if he was one of the assassin attacking me ruthlessly with the paintballs and he said "No dad, I wasn't even trying to hit you. I was having too much fun watching everyone else shoot you." LIke I said, I'm not sure what they're learning but it sure is fun, not to mention good exercise.