The Agony of Defeat

     In an effort to occupy our time with non-drinking activities, I decided to implement family game night.  So last night, my husband,  my daughter and her friend, and I gathered around our kitchen table for a good old-fashioned game of Scrabble.

      When I took the game out of the box I was pleasantly surprised by the upgrades. The game spins now, so I can look straight at the board without uncomfortably distorting my neck. A bonus at my age as it doesn’t take much to pop a disc anymore.  And the game board has raised borders for each tile so when someone bangs the table the pieces don’t fly all over the place.

      But the most significant change I found was in the rule book under 10 Ways to Become an Instant Scrabble Expert.  The last item, number 10, was Attitude and this is a direct quote:

     “Keep in mind that anyone can beat anyone else with a certain amount of luck. Also remember that everyone draws poor combinations of tiles at times, so when you do, take pleasure in making the best play you can. Finally, don’t dwell on your mistakes. Everyone makes them, so go easy on yourself and just enjoy playing!”

      I appreciate that Parker Brothers is taking an active interest in developing my self esteem but game playing is serious business.  This is not the time to go easy.  The competition is what makes playing games so fun.  If I wanted to play for fun, I would join a T-Ball team, where everyone wins…and gets a trophy for that matter.

      I revel in the thrill of victory, and I suffer in the agony of defeat.  I’m not gracious in either scenario but neither do I expect my opponent to be.  If you want to rub your win in my face, I will be more than happy to return the favor next time we meet. 

      Last night I lost, so I picked up my Scrabble game and went to bed.