What was the name of that astrophysicist who, just before he got fired, said reach for the moon and you’ll land among the stars?
You can call me dumb – trust me, you’re in good company – but I’ve had a revelation.
I’ve been playing Solitaire on my phone. Playing as in totally addicted. Like “don’t you need to get up into hours?” “Just one more hand…”
I don’t play the easy-seats one-at-a-time game – that’s for grandma’s and people who like to win every time. Booooring.
Gimme the high scores, baby! The Vegas action – three at a time, three passes through the deck. Lose ya snooze – that’s my kinda game
It costs you 52 points to play – we’ll call them bucks because in Vegas, that’ what they are. The first hand you’re already 52 bucks in the hole. But each card you place up top? Five big ones, baby!
So I did all my work for today (The Three Point Line Episode 5 in the can). So maybe I’ll sit outside as the heat wave cools down and play a little Solitaire…
Three hours later…
Two phones ago, the one commandeered by pirates, I was up at around 125,000 points – thousands of games. The next phone, the Galaxy Fold 4, that was at 175,000 before the battery toasted out. This phone? I’ve been trying to dial back, so I’m only at 11,700 or so.
This evening I’m sitting out there baiting the mosquitoes, thinking about nothing so much as winning a hand after 1, 2, 3 in a row get close, but no cigars.
The deal is, see, you win the hand you get 260 bucks, 5 to one on your investment. I’m getting 15, 20 cards up there, but no big wins.
Come on, ya moke, win one! I says to myself.
And then, outta the blue, I get this thing, this brainwave.
Hey nimrod, you got 20 cards up there. At five bucks each, you’re 200 bucks ahead.
That’s when it hits me – just like the light on a new day, it hit me from outta the blue.
You don’t have to hit a home run to score points, do ya? Swingin’ for the bleachers is all fine and well, but goin’ around the bases one at a time works, too, don’t it?
What are you playing for?
What are you playing for?
Me, I’m looking for points. Something inside me wants to get to a million points. Then 2 mil, then 5. The cash comes quicker when you win the game, but anything over 11 cards is pure gold.
The one-card-at-a-time grandma? She plays to win, to complete the task, maybe solve the puzzle.
Me, I guess I find worth in racking up the moola. Maybe it’s my inner Fred Flintstone – we can afford lots of Bronto Burgers now, Wilma!
What are you playing for? Is the prize upon which you have your eye the prize, or is it the process – something that happens along the way?
For me, that’s a kinda big breakthrough- what am I playing for?
To be clear, no money changes hand. My wife would kill. Me. Kill. Me.
And, that falling among the stars thing? How about burning up in the atmosphere…
John D Reinhart 