聽 聽 聽 聽 聽 聽
By Gail Krawetz
One thing I greatly dislike when I am doing a puzzle or playing cards is having someone observe over my shoulder.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Just last week I was on a flight to Arizona with a nice, elderly gent seated beside me. After we had exchanged pleasantries, I pulled out my iPad to do some reading and play some games. I usually play Sudoku or Four Pictures, One Word which is a new game that I have been enjoying. This puzzle works much as its name suggests. Four pictures are shown with blank spaces underneath for a word to be inserted. A choice of 12 letters is given from which to make a word which applies to all four pictures.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Now let me get one thing clear 鈥� I play these games because I enjoy a challenge. I will tenaciously and stubbornly work at them until I find a solution which gives me a great sense of accomplishment and satisfaction. (I鈥檝e also been told that such activity can keep dementia at bay.) Occasionally I will turn to someone else and ask for his or her input, but generally if someone else wants to play, I think, 鈥淕et your own game!鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 Well, this fellow beside me didn鈥檛 know that and was obviously watching what I was doing. I was stuck on one puzzle for a few minutes when he suddenly blurted out, 鈥淲hat about the word union?鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淣o, there鈥檚 no u in the word and it鈥檚 an eight-letter word.鈥� I replied.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淗ow about merging?鈥� he then suggested.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淣o, there鈥檚 no m and that鈥檚 only seven letters.鈥� I responded while thinking, 鈥淗ow about minding your own business?鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淥h, it might be ultimatum,鈥� he interjected once more.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲ell, there鈥檚 still no u or m, and that鈥檚 nine letters.鈥� I calmly offered. (Calm on the outside, but thinking, 鈥淏ack off, buddy,鈥� on the inside.)
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淲ell, I really don鈥檛 know the game, but it sure is fun,鈥� he cheerily added.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 鈥淢aybe we鈥檒l just leave it for a while,鈥� I politely countered as I snapped my iPad shut.
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 This reminds me of playing cards while everyone looks over my shoulder and tut-tuts over every bid I make or every card I play. Of course they would know what to do because they鈥檝e seen everyone鈥檚 hand!
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 I remember playing cribbage in a supposedly fun tournament. No one else in our club volunteered to play because in their words, 鈥淚 don鈥檛 know how to play.鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 So I reluctantly agreed to participate and represent our club. Then these same folks proceeded to stand directly behind me the entire time making funny noises every time I played a card (and I鈥檓 not that bad a player). When a hand was done, they didn鈥檛 hesitate to inform me where I had missed counting two points or where I could have stopped my opponent from doing so. It took all my willpower to hold my tongue (which as many of you know is not easy for me) and not say, 鈥淩eally? I thought you didn鈥檛 know how to play!鈥�
聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽聽 I don鈥檛 know about you, but I have much more fun without a gallery peering over my shoulder. That way I can play a game my way and if I make a mistake I own it. What I don鈥檛 need is a running commentary on every move I make or someone piping up offering advice that I don鈥檛 want. As I said before, 鈥淕et your own game!鈥�
