As some of you know, the New York Times recently published an article on how board and card games could keep your mind sharp. Minnesota bridge players Peg Mitchell and Yours Truly were featured in it!
The good news is that virtually any publicity for our game is wonderful. And, where better for bridge to be featured than in the widely read, venerable New York Times. Yet, both Peg and I were commenting that much of what we had to say did not make it into the article. And since bridge has given so much to me for so many years, I thought I would take the opportunity to expound a bit here.
While playing card games cannot stave off old age forever, the concentration, memory, problem solving, etc. that bridge demands surely does seem to aid our brains in keeping up to snuff. Yet, whatever our age - young, old or in-between - bridge provides a wealth of opportunities for us.
I always explain to my non-bridge playing friends how fascinating the game is. Can you imagine almost any other activity where, after 30 - 40 - 50!! years you are still able to learn, strive, recognize new experiences? No matter how good you are, how many mountains you have climbed at the bridge table - new ones are around the corner.
And then, just as important as the game itself, are its people.
Socializing is of value to us at any age. "Where," I told the reporter, "Other than the world of bridge, would I have friends from literally every continent on the planet?" How would I possibly have met Bill Gates and Warren Buffett - and other billionaires - except at the bridge table? If not for bridge, how could I have received invitations to stay with friends in Cairo, Iceland, India, and other spots around the world? In what other venues aside from bridge, where would you see people in their 20's socializing with those in their 70's?
The love of the game, the sharing of ideas of all sorts - they bind us together.
Yes, bridge keeps our minds sharp. Yet this is just a fraction of what the game does for us all.
Do I sound passionate? I am passionate!
Teach a friend our game. It will sustain them - in so many ways - the rest of their life!
Great comments, Peg. I have no knowledge of (or at this point, interest in) bridge. But your post echoes some things I could say about my some of my own interests, reminding me of their value.
Posted by: John | December 18, 2015 at 09:43 AM