Like many, I played Wordle every day. And then suddenly I was bored with it. Too much luck involved. I started playing Spelling Bee, another New York Times word game.
What a colossal waste of time! Oh, sure, I have loved it, loved the challenge. I thought it was probably good for my brain, too. Is it, though? Where’s the research? Does it really behoove me to spend all that time on a word game when I have very many other things I want to do? I have been close to addicted to the game. For a little while I set a 20-minute timer and only allowed myself those few minutes. That did not last long. If you play, you know it is possible to use up a whole hour of your day (life) on the game.
See, when I say “life,” that gives you pause, doesn’t it? It does me. This is my life we’re talking about! Do I want to look back and see how many hours I spent playing Spelling Bee? No.
Being a word person, of course I enjoy the challenge. I’m happy to get to Genius, but not Genius without the pangram, which is sometimes possible. I have to get the pangram. There is certainly satisfaction in it. And then a friend told me that she and her husband reach Queen Bee every day. Every single day. So I wanted to do that, too. Aiyiyi!! Thank God I reined that in pretty quickly. But if I’ve already gotten all but 2 or 3 of the possible words, I might carry on far too long trying to get those last ones. Ugh. Not worth it. “You have things to do!” I yell at myself. “YES! I HAVE THINGS TO DO!!” I yell back.
People my age are always talking about what’s good for our brains. Well, what about our hearts? This (previously) fun diversion can be a stressor, depending upon the letters of the day. Decidedly NOT good for my heart. Irritating. Bad mood-inducing. I’m not playing today. There might be good letters, though . . . No, I’m not playing. Of course I think about it. But I’m not going to. I’m writing. I’m painting. I went on a brisk walk in the cool, breezy morning, under the shade of many trees on our beautiful trail. Much more rewarding, in every sense.
I have THINGS TO DO. I will not play. They can’t make me.
“It may be that all games are silly. But then, so are humans. ”― Robert Lynd
“This is our purpose: to make as meaningful as possible this life that has been bestowed upon us . . . to live in such a way that we may be proud of ourselves, to act in such a way that some part of us lives on.” ― Oswald Spengler
“Oh, the places you’ll go! There is fun to be done! There are points to be scored. There are games to be won.” ― Dr. Seuss, Oh, the Places You’ll Go!
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Thanks for listening,
Kay
P.S. MerryThoughts is the name of my first book, out of print at the moment. The word is a British one, referring both to a wishbone and to the ritual of breaking the wishbone with the intention of either having a wish granted or being the one who marries first, thus the “merry thoughts.”