I’ve played bridge for years.

Being from Ohio – those long cold winter seasons – there was a lot of game playing that got us through the dull days.  Board games, dice games, card games, the whole gamet.

Don’t remember exactly how I got started on bridge – though my Mother claimed to play bridge, so I must have picked up her version of the game as a kid.  I do remember long ago, thinking I could play bridge.

I was probably only 22 or so, had been married for 5 years, had two kids, and Dick was CEO of a Chamber of Commerce.  Well, I was invited by some more mature ladies to sit in on a bridge game.  I had no idea what was going on all evening – how embarrassing.   There seemed to actually be some rules and guidelines for this game of cards.  This was not my Mother’s bridge.  Think that was when I decided to find out just what the game was really about.

So, a few bridge lessons, some objective subbing in a few friendly games, and it soon began to make sense.  Hey, if you like numbers, bridge could be your game!

So, for years, bridge has been one of my comfortable and enjoyable social outlets. Dick, on the other hand, even though he had also grown up in Ohio, had absolutely no interest in sitting down, playing a game and “putting in time”. 

As soon as the sun was up when he was young, he was out, playing hard, working in a garden, gathering the produce he had grown to sell, cutting yards, working on cars, yes, and even working at the circus when they came to town, and keeping extremely physically busy.  A true waste of energy and time as far as he was concerned to sit down to play any game.  If he couldn’t see some positive outcome for the family – usually meaning monetary gain – he was just not interested…he had other fish to fry.

So, after we were married, other than playing cards with friends (usually with kids the same ages as ours), for the social contact, there was no real interest displayed by Dick in cards or other games.  While I still enjoyed and played the game.

Another memory comes through – very soon after we had moved to a rather small town in Western Kentucky, I was phoned one day and asked if I would be interested in playing bridge – I kept my cool, and responded “Yes, I would love to”.  I was then given the explanation that the foursome would consist of Nita, the caller, one of her good friends in the community, and Nita’s mother – “she’s 82, but still enjoys a good game of bridge.”

So, if I wouldn’t mind playing with someone that “old”, she’d love to meet me and have a game of bridge.  I gladly accepted, and was privileged to meet the neatest, sharpest southern lady I will probably ever have the chance to meet.  I was accepted into that town’s society of bridge and continued to play bridge with that daughter and Mother until she died, I think at  93 years of age.

Fast forward to retirement:   One of the agreements Dick and I made about retirement was that I would not ever expect nor ask him to play bridge again — I agreed… and come to think of it, there was something that he was not to ask me to do again…shoot… I don’t even remember what it was…oh well.

So, when we moved to our present home in retirement, Dick joined the world of woodworking – something he had always loved, and some volunteering and  various hobbies and activities.  We both love remodeling our home, which was ready for some loving care, and I delved into ceramics, silver crafting, and of course, set out to find some bridge buddies.

I had gotten a bridge game to play on the computer too, and one day, I saw Dick playing bridge on his computer – hum – interesting.  Yet, I was truly shocked when one day he said “You know, maybe I’d play some bridge if you want to have some friends over for a game”.  I cautiously said sure – maybe later.

Well, it seems that since playing on the computer has given him practice and experience, he’s actually “getting into” the game of bridge!

We played with friends last night – and what do you know!!!…we actually got high score.  (We only play friendly bridge) So, while we still have our separate interests and lots of interests we share, its seems it’s never too late for an old dog to learn new tricks! 

Keep the faith friends, miracles do happen! ;)