“By the time you’re eighty years old, you’ve learned everything. You only have to remember it.” – George Burns

In my youth, I loved hanging out at the local pub, playing Pacman and Donkey Kong, eating onion rings, and chatting with friends. We started playing more at home when the first Zelda game came out when I was in my 20s, and it soon became an addiction for my BF and me. We would play for hours and hours. She was far more patient than I and would work endlessly to slay the dragons. On the other hand, I just liked to run through the fields and towns, blissfully lost in the little background tune. That game would have never ended had it not been for her expertise and patience.

I don’t know when it happened, but we reached a point where we stopped playing. Had we lost interest? Did the pubs remove the consoles? Was there no Zelda sequel? I’m not sure, but whatever it was, our gaming life became a thing of the past.

Zoom ahead 40 years, and there I was at the bedside of my dying mother. My sister and I would take turns trying to get her to stop taking her IV out. 15 minutes stints, I believe. My mom was a strong woman and refused all treatment closer to the end of her life. Interestingly, as I got older, I started to appreciate her stance, but I found it heartbreaking then. During my sister’s break, I noticed her feverishly playing on her phone. This was my introduction to Words with Friends. She set me up that evening, and for the next few years, I had multiple games simultaneously going with a small group of family and friends. To say this had become an addiction was an understatement. I checked that app religiously, and it became the first thing I did in the morning. What was interesting was how I felt crappy playing at times when the games were going against me, then good again when I got some zingers in. This awareness was a signpost for self-work that needed to be done, as nothing external should ever have control over my feeling of self-worth. On New Year’s Day, a couple of years back, I decided it was time for my WWF’s game days to be finished.

I have now limited my game time to 15 minutes per day. The games I play only require one person, and I play them not because I need to fill some time but as part of the toolkit to keep my mind active.  

In retirement, I will continue challenging myself with activities requiring mental engagement while seeing any adverse reactions as opportunities to grow.