Block 55

Games . . . 

board games,

simple card games,

paper and pencil games,

computer games . . .

How wonderful to have

have them around

when things get boring.

Challenge the mind

or play meaninglessly.

Either way

they are exciting.

Watching my students

create their own

Mancala boards

then play the game.

How much fun

was that?

Watching them begin,

playing mindlessly

then starting

to realize

there are strategies

to this game.

I swear . . .

sometimes I honestly 

 think I saw light bulbs

go off over their heads

and 

steam coming out

of their ears.

The brains were working

in ways

a textbook

nor I

could teach.

A simple

egg carton

and dried beans . . .

who would have thought

these could be used

to expand the minds

of 6th graders?

Dear Lord,

Thank you for allowing our ancestors to have some free time where they could create simple games. Those simple games have developed into games beyond their wildest imaginations. 

Playing games have helped me through times of stress and times of boredom. Times of happiness and times of sadness. 

I know a mind is a terrible thing to waste but sometimes playing a mindless game causes me to concentrate and forget or not concentrate and goof off. Either way, they help me through my days and nights.

Amen