Puzzles by the Story Teller

June 12, 2017,  Puzzles

Years ago Elaine and I decided to drop cable television. We lived in a small town and our television quit. Local guy to the rescue. Three weeks later it’s back – dying in two days. During those two days our kids would come in, turn it on and leave the room. In those two days it was just background noise. That was 30+ years ago and we still don’t have it.

When we travel, we will occasionally watch television. This give us an opportunity to reaffirm two consistent findings. The programing wants us to experience deep emotion or bore us to death.  Neither of which I find a need for. Consequently – no TV.

Which leads me to books, conversations, DVDs, and puzzles. It is not necessary to finish a book you don’t like and you can come back to ones you do. Discovering a conversation does not need an ultimate resolution in order to be interesting is very freeing. Watching a movies on DVD does not require finishing it that night – it can be stopped and returned to later or not at all. (Our Harry Potter marathon took three weeks.)

Puzzles are different. A 1000 piece puzzle is a household adventure. Everyone participates – sometimes alone and sometimes together. Time limits for staying at it are needed because four hour on 300 blue sky pieces can happen. As the picture comes together the challenge gets even greater. Quitting is not an option. Hours of concentration and 800 small victories root you on.

When that last piece is set there are high fives and pride. The greatest thing about puzzles -when the pieces go back in the box the memories of time spent together don’t go with it.

Moral – Small tasks done with people you love make life better.