Sometimes you are revealed in the unlikeliest of places in the unlikeliest manner.
Take a scrabble game (yes, I play a lot of scrabble) for instance. There are some players who play a very tight-fisted game, and much to your frustration, leave you absolutely no room for maneuvering in the course of a game. Then there are others who go on building *ladders* that ascend to the right (or descend to the left) and everyone knows what happens if that continues too long: your game comes to a standstill pretty soon, with tiles left over, but no chances to make any more moves.
I bet you are thinking, ‘this is all part of the game!’. Of course, I know that too.
What struck me today was how I found myself reacting to such tactics, again and again. More often than not, I went out of my way to ‘open up’ the game by spreading out, thereby increasing opportunities not just for myself but for the other person too, yes, the same miserly Scrooge MacDuck on the other side. If/when I saw a ‘ladder’ coming up in the wrong direction I tried to forestall it with a move that would take us out of the pattern, and both instances endangered my own precarious chances of survival.
So what did it tell me about myself? That when I saw a difficult situation developing, a dead-end looming, though I didn’t have to do it, I created a path out for everyone concerned, yup, myself included, notwithstanding that in the long run the same might end up taking a toll on myself, leaving me behind to languish or worse still, forgotten. Yeah, that’s me alright.
©Shail Mohan 2016
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Shail's Nest 
What an interesting insight into yourself, especially from a game as seemingly simple as Scrabble. Such a lot to process…
Welcome to Shail’s Nest. And what a lovely name, ‘Rain’! 🙂
Yes, the insight was a surprise.
It also speaks volumes to how much you love words and, by extension, the game. That you want the game to keep going and going rather than end prematurely.
True that, Mel 🙂
I used to play a lot of scrabble until a few….hahahaa…many years back with my sons. Used to enjoy! Can understand the frustration when the game is struck.
Nice of you to help prolong the game!
Yeah, I don’t like getting stuck 🙂
It’s amazing to me how little moments in our lives, like your game, can reveal so much of who we are as a person.I like the way you play Scrabble. 🙂
Thank you. Yes, it hit me how game or life, one’sr strategies remain the same 🙂
I like how you reveal this message through scrabble :). It’s very smart. Ah man if we didn’t live in different countries and lived closer we could have done a scrabble night or something, I love Scrabble too 🙂
Thanks. Btw, I play Scrabble online 🙂
Let’s play!!!
Like you, i love Scrabble too
Stairs also make me go boo hoo
Accommodating you are
And quite often the star
So i’ve restarted a game with you!
I am so glad we are playing each other again! 🙂
So we see how games represent real life….
Our reactions are the same , in front of difficult situations!
Yes, and that was a revelation 🙂
🙂
🙂
After a long time, I played scrabble during the rain stuck days in December.
And yes, I also hate building ladders on one side.
Sometimes, we realize a part of ourselves through the simplest of act – game here 😀
I want to play scrabble with you too 😀
Do you play scrabble online, Uma? Then we can have a game, you, Gulshan and I. 🙂