Playing the Game

Last night, we had Games Night for the leaders of our Women's Bible study , for both the morning and evening study leaders. Normally I would have avoided going to such night which say Games. I don't know for some reason, just sounding the word Games make me want to flee, especially it involves any physical exertion. In school, I never got involved in any kind of games except in the marching drill. Yes, my games teacher seemed to like the way I marched, I suppose, she picked me for the marching band. If you think that would have given me such a joy and pride, you're wrong. Instead of being enthusiastic and excited to show up for the practices, I found ways to give lame excuses and got my self out. Result-I lost the only chance of being in a school team. While my friends jumped, tossed and swirled in the net ball court or basket ball, I stood at a distance, behind the barricade line and clapped and cheered them on till my throat got parched.

What about board games? you may ask. Yes, that's my kind of game. I love playing board games. But it doesn't mean I win all the time. I do win at times, and lose also at times. I can take up to lose without a fuss, so it's not a problem to me.

As a child I loved playing snake and ladder and ludo. Those were the two board games that were available for four to five year olds at that time. I still remember the snake and ladder board with short and long ladder and huge snakes criscrossing the board. Oh the thrill it brought when you dice fell as you wanted to climb up the ladder to reach the home sooner. And when the dice fell and turned to show the number to bring you down the longest snake almost to the bottom as you were almost there to reach the square marked 'Home'.

Oh those precious moments of innocent child's jubiliation at winning and pouting face and tears brimmed faces at losing the game make me want to go back to that non-worry stage at any moment. Then came checkers and drafts with black and beige wooden rounds to play on board and I must say I was quite good at playing drafts most of the time.

As preteen years extended into teen years, reading took over my interest and I spent no time in playing board games after that until I got married. In fact, I played some traditional games like Pallanguli which is played on a wooden board with  two rows of carven cup like slots. The players are expected to fill each slot with six dried tamarind seeds, and who ever is able to do that is considered a winner. I'm not sure whether I remember the game correctly, but something similar to that pattern. there was another game we used to play with another tree's seed, similar to olives.

This one, we played seated on the cement floor and spirting the seed with our thumb and forefinger in such a way, it will go and hit another seed and if it hits, the player takes the hit seed and try to hit as many seeds as possible. The player who gets the maximum number of seeds get to be the winner. It was such an interesting and exciting game too.

Well, I loved to play marbles. Each of us have a favorite marble which we called lucky marble which we usually chose to hit other marbles with. Though I loved playing it, I don't think I was good at it because most of the time I kept losing my marbles to the opponent. But it felt so good to posess large and small glassy marbles in so many colors. Some marbles sparkeled in the blazing sun giving out radiant colors of blue green orange purple glow. Monopoly was unknown to me when I was growing up and as such I never got to play it until I became a parent.

When I got married, my husband introduced me to play chess, and for the first year of marriage until we left for Sweden (one and a half year after marriage) we enjoyed playing chess whenever we got some free time. But all playing stopped when my first child was born. When there was a child to play with, who would want to sit and play chess or any game for the matter. I didn't. For some years it was playing peek -a-boo and blowing bubbles and throwing balls with your kids were the games I got involved.

Then came the time, our girls dragged mom and dad to play Monopoly, Clue, Risk and some card games. As a family we had lots of fun beating each other in the game, cheating at times and rolling with laughter. Those are definitely precious moments I'd want to treasure until my end. The fun and laughter you have with your family is a God given gift. I wonder how many can see that as a gift in this world of hurry and bustle. But if they do, then nothing would they ask for more.

Some times, the life itself looks like a game played by different players of varying interests. At times, it' the game of war between the nations, other times it's a political game between two rivaling parties to win over the polls. Some times husband and wife tend to play the game of love and may even opt to play guesssing  game at times. Well childen too love to play secret games with the parents to avoid being getting into trouble and so it goes on. Whatever we play, it's important that we don't play a dirty game with anyone or against anyone. If we do, we become the biggest losers in the end, even if declare of winning the game.

Whether we are kids playing snake and ladder or adults playing chess or nations playing war games, let that be always a fair and good game. The motivation play a vital part in any game. If played with selfish motive and greed, it doesn't benefit either party. It only bring division and brews enemity. On the other hand, if played fair and good, both the parties do gain respect and comradeship. Winning surely brings joy and losing does bring sadness. In a game one is expected to win and the other to lose. Even the loser realizes that he hadn't lost much if the game played is fair. In contrast, it the game is played dirty, the winner however innings he won, would never reap the joy as someone who played the game fairly. So, let's play any game fair and proper!