Scrabble Iz Not Just a Game!

My Scrabble buddy is back after a long drought.

I read his  blog, he subscribes to mine.  I comment on his posts, he follows suit.  He is a word-master.

For awhile I was on a winning streak, capturing several games in a row.  Man, that felt good.  Suddenly he started winning--a LOT, then he disappeared.  I began to wonder if I wasn't enough competition for his skills.

There are others with whom I play regularly, some several games at a time.  All of them challenge me.  Win one, lose one.  Each of us goes on a several-in-a-row spree,  You would have to be a Scrabble affectionado to understand the rush one gets from a seven-letter word or a two-point win.

I have begun to think of my Scrabble partners as friends.  Even if I never meet them in person, even if we share only a facsimile of a wooden tile and a complaint over too many vowels or the YES!! of a Bingo, it is enough.  By looking at their Facebook profiles, I can see their families, go along on a vacation (wave to me when you fly over Lake Erie!) and share the trauma of a car accident or the joy of a new baby.  They know me through my blog, or a chat during a game.

Word-play in its many forms is my forte.  I never minded writing essays. I was a copywriter for my yearbook and worked in advertising.  For many years the writing bug was squashed by life.  Now it, like me, is being reinvented. The Thesaurus is my companion, the dictionary my closest pal.   I am hooked.

Scrabble is only a game to some. For me it is practicing my vocabulary, competing against others' abilities, learning to win or lose with grace (although sometimes I feel a need to privately gloat!). Besides, it's fun.

Scrabble friends, I look forward to spending time with you each evening, even on Friday night (guess we have no life!).  I will never throw a match to let you win. I trust you to be the same.  Win or lose, I love the game and the friends, old and new.

So, play with me!  I am always looking for another worthy opponent.

OK, John, it's your turn.