Comment: Life. Philosophy. All that Crap.

So I'm sitting in the apartment and I notice this Zingo game that my kids like to play. It’s a picture version of Bingo and has a swank little contraption that dispenses the cards two at a time for the payers to identify and then grab to put on their card. It’s kind of like a Pez dispenser, but more horizontal. And it takes forever to load the thing. But it’s totally worth it to slide the thingy back and forth and watch the cards fly out.

My kids can play themselves, technically, but they always want me to play too. Then I can be the dealer and they can concentrate on getting their picture cards. Because if you don’t pay attention, or you call out the name of the object too late, you don’t get the card.

How apt is that for a life metaphor?

Plus when you fill your card, you get to yell out “Zingo!” which frankly is one of game’s main selling points.

I also see our lucky bamboo plant that is growing nicely. Even in this rainy, grey and yet somehow vibrant city, this plant is growing. It’s supposed to bring us good luck. How do you measure that, anyway? Is there a placebo effect for luck?

What I wonder about is this question: is life about luck, or putting in your time and staying alert?

Answers and results may vary.

Luck has a place at the table, don’t get me wrong. But it’s so elusive and slippery and unquantifiable. Maybe luck is a state of mind.

Personally, I think life’s more like a Zingo game. You sit there and your cards get dispensed over and over and over and eventually you find one you like, IF you pay attention. And you fill up your card and you wait for your big moment. Sometimes you get it, sometimes you don’t.

So I think life has more to do with putting in the work and paying attention.

Who knew this kids’ game was so Zen?

Zingo!