Friends draw you into places you don’t expect. I am not a gamer. I used to break out in a sweat when we played Risk. I don’t particularly like strategy games. I prefer “luck” games like Clue and Life (as a kid). I much enjoyed watching folks play video games than actually play them myself. But then Germany lead a revival of games…Carcasonne, Ticket to Ride, Alhambra. Then I had friends who lived in Germany and loved games. So I played games. There was enough combo of luck to help me overcome my aversion to strategy. Then there was Mexican train. I could play that game all night long. It turns out most of our church seems to play the same games. So, I follow the crowd and have enjoyed myself. It also helps to win.
Tonight I won. 6 players. Experienced. New rules. Carcasonne. 2 hrs later, weaving in and out of the game, mostly by luck, I was the winner. Somehow, resources came like manna from heaven everytime I needed them. The fish expansion pack helped. The conversation was delicious. The taco soup great. 6 kids played for 3 hrs without blood or too much screaming. My girls discovered Redwall (Sara said tonight, “Mom, the mouse cut off the serpent’s head. Isn’t that weird?!!”). I think it pays to be intentional.