Winning Words 9/20/12
“You learn a lot about people when you play games with them.”  (Laura Moncur)  I like to play games, and I must admit that I am competitive.  I lose, but I don’t like to lose.  The great young golfer, Rory McIlroy, was leading the 2011 Masters and blew it on the last day.  His mother was “crying her eyes out,” and Rory said, “Mum, it’s only a game of golf.”  I learned a lot about Rory from his response.    ;-)  Jack

 FROM OUTHOUSE JUDY:  Having to be reminded "It's only a game" comes hard when it's the Red Wings, Tigers, Pistons or Lions losing.  It's also hard to imagine the money these guys get playing "only a game".  Wonder what we ourselves would earn if we were paid for our daily tasks.  Someone once broke down how much a woman would get paid for all of her "tasks".   Playing for fun is much more interesting and much more Fun.  Rory has the right attitude.////FROM JACK:  Dwight Eisenhower said: "When I was a small boy in Kansas, a friend of mine and I went fishing. I told him I wanted to be a real Major League baseball player, a genuine professional like Honus Wagner. My friend said that he'd like to be President of the United States. Neither of us got our wish."  Currently, A-Rod of the Yankees makes $30,000,000 a year, while the President of the United States makes $400,000, plus expenses.

 FROM SHARIN' SHARON:  I learn a lot about my husband when he is yelling at the TV on all the sports he watches. I think the games are just games to him but it's the freedom of yelling at everything which is most freeing to him. It finally feels good to see people flub over something which is actually just a game and not really so consequential like real life but still someone else than the viewer making mistakes. I wonder if Rory had any idea someone out there in TV land might have been yelling and how much he was doing for them to have an enjoyable day--winning or not. If the whole thing was about anything else than games, it would be scandalous to see such boisterous and unruly behavior in the audience.////FROM JACK:  I remember being startled once when someone yelled out, "Amen!" while I was preaching.

 FROM GOOD DEBT JON:  My kids always bring up times we play "Catch Phrase" with the timer hot potato you pass around.  We also play some improvisational games I learned from reading "Improv Wisdom" by Patricia Ryan Madison, no batteries or wretched cash out lay for a game (library book). While my kids are fully American, I still embrace my inner Scotsman.////FROM JACK:  "Improv Wisdom" sounds like a good book.  In our home we sometimes would try to imitate Jonathan Winters when he would pick up an ordinary item and do goofy things with it...like with a banana...as a cigar, a telephone, a pencil, a gun, etc.

 FROM ILLINOIS LIZ:  He is a cool "kid."////FROM JACK:  My step father used to use the word "cool" when he was pleased with something.  Once when we were in a restaurant, the waitress asked, "How's the food?"  He replied, "Cool!"  Then she said, "Do you want me to warm it up?"

 FROM MJF IN MICHIGAN:  Hey Jack, I liked today's ww's. I also like that kid McIlroy.  I often quote Tom Hanks character, "There's no crying in baseball", and often insert different words for baseball.   As I get older I find myself tearing up very easily, mostly because I'm reminded how fortunate I am for all the blessings in my life.////FROM JACK:  I also like the "no crying" quote from the movie.  The Lou Gehrig farewell speech brought many tears...and so, too, when the little boy said to his hero, Shoeless Joe Jackson, "Say it aint so, Joe."

FROM JT IN MINNESOTA:  I remember my 3 year old grandson when he was being scolded about playing in the hay mow and messing up the hay bale.  He said, "Mom it's only hay."  I often use that philosophy.  It is a good one and sure right out of Rory's hand book.////FROM JACK:  I'm reminded of the book, Games People Play, which is, in part, about the mind games that people play.  There are some adults who take life too seriously.  Of course, there are others who don't take it seriously enough.  I guess you have to be reading from the same page in the rule book.

 FROM PLAIN FOLKS CHESTER:  Some people just like to play. If they win, it's a bonus. Lombardi  HAD to win. There's nothing wrong with that either. It's just the way he was built.////FROM JACK:  When Vince said, "Winning is the only thing," he didn't mean, "Winning is the only thing."  There's the rest of the story.////PFC:  I think he said, "Winning isn't everything, it's the only thing."////JACK:  Good thinking!

 FROM FM IN WISCONSIN:  What a great response by Rory . . . one which I must keep in mind, as we play games, most frequently Scrabble, and winning sometimes get in the way of some very important relationships!   Thanks for your word today . . . I will keep it in mind as we ‘play’ as aging adults.////FROM JACK:  Remember...BINGO is only a game

 FROM ED IN ARIZONA:  Reminds me of Tin Cup. Have you seen that movie?////FROM JACK:  No, I haven't seen the movie, although I've heard of it.  Now, because of your nudge, I read a synopsis, and I want to see it.  Our library has it.

 FROM BLAZING OAKS:  Ah, games! Love them, and played all my life, and our whole family (very competitive!) loves games; cards, board, electronic, outdoor, etc. and of course there is the "game of Life" where a sense of humor often saves the day!  Our family has a tradition at Thanksgiving (Brother's family, sister's family and my family) of the annual Turkey Bowl Football game, soon after dinner, players from 4 on up...Many fond and funny memories!////FROM JACK:  My son and I played competitive ping pong and kept a running score on a chalkboard.  After 969 games, I suggested that maybe we had played enough.  The board is still by the table...the score: 18,198 to 18,284.

 FROM AW IN ILLINOIS:  And you learnto be cautious when "people play games with you".////FROM JACK:  Games can be fun, depending on the game you play.  I've stopped playing some of them when the fun was gone.