... The Game of Jacks ...
December 21, 1998
5:47 a.m.
A ball flies up into the air, arcing rapidly toward the ground. It is red-orange with a slick covering. The floor is gray carpet. The two meet with a soft thunk, and the ball bounces back up into the air. A moment later, Brigid's hand reaches out to snare it. Inside that hand is a piece of metal with six protrusions--a jack. She puts the jack in a pile beside her. Then the ball flies through the air again. And now I'm thinking that the game of jacks is, perhaps, the most perfect game of all creation. She throws the ball, and the laws of physics take over (or God if you chose to believe). The ball demands attention in whatever time it takes to bounce once, and in the meantime there are things to do, jacks to be swept up, details to be taken care of. She catches the ball and throws the ball. Like everything else in life the game has a rhythm, a pattern that makes you feel good when you hit it--a simple little zone, a groove where things just seem to flow of their own accord, and when you're there . . . Well, when you're there, you just know.   We played Family Scrabble last night. For those of you unfamiliar with "Family Scrabble", we each get racks of letters and play just like regular scrabble--except rather than add up our individual totals, we keep only a combined team score. It's a great way to get a ten-year-old into the game (actually, I think we've played this way since Brigid was eight). And, of course, its a great game for teaching spelling. Sometimes, though, there is more than spelling at stake. Brigid had managed to set herself up to make use of a triple word score her next time by placing the word "thrive" in such a fashion that she could build off it and make a bunch of points. She was really thrilled at how her next move would come off. She wanted to participate, and make a big score. It was my turn. I had "teaming", which I could place in such a fashion as to make "thriven" and use the triple word bonus (as well as grab the 50 point bonus for using all my letters)--obviously a very strong play for the entire team. I didn't know what to do. I looked all over the board, trying vainly to find another place for my word, but there was nothing. Brigid sat on the chair in her Winnie the Pooh pajamas and her old Charlotte Hornets baseball cap (turned backward) and her sparkly earrings. I could see she was so thrilled to be able to use the triple bonus. But I could use it better. So I broke etiquette. I called her over. "Brigid," I said. "This is your choice." And I explained the situation. "I'm happy to go use a different word someplace else, okay?" I said. "But if you say it's okay, I'll take your spot and the whole team will benefit more." A dark cloud covered her face. Her prize was being pulled away from her, and she didn't like it. "I'm serious, Brigid. I'll be glad to go someplace else with a different word." "Fine," she said in that stomping off kind of voice. "Take it." Her face grew red and a small tear showed up in her eye. I grimaced (at least inside) and looked for another place, feeling lower than a snake for having ruined my daughter's big play. "Take it," she demanded. "Put your word down." Reluctantly, I did. It was a lot of points. Later. The hot chocolate her mother had made her was gone. The games were over. Brigid looked at the scorecard--we had topped 650 points as a family in our first game but didn't come close to that in our last game. She knew that her decision had made that first score as large as it was. Lisa complimented her on her choice. And Brigid gave a tiny smile. We played jacks for her nighttime story time. I think she was still wound up from game night, and didn't want it to end. The ball flew and bounced, flew and bounced. We got through onesies and twosies and threesies before I declared time was up. Brigid gave me a kiss goodnight. I turned off the lights and went to bed.  Daily Persistence is © Ron Collins |
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"We never know the love of the parent till we become parents ourselves." Henry Ward Beecher Once again, Lisa (Elsie) Costello answers my question. So, does anyone out there know how to make a couple million dollars without breaking the law? I'll be checking my e-mail hourly for the answer, Elsie! |
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