Danny

?WHY?
2005-02-07 17:11:09 (UTC)

The Game of Life

Hey, guess what. I developed a game, a game of life.

All you need is two decks of cards and a watch.

SETUP:
=Before combining the two decks, remove a random card

from one, and replace it with a joker. Discard the

random card chosen, and don't look at it. Ever.
=Shuffle the decks together and proceed to place all

of the cards face down in a large rectangle, one by

one until they are all spread out in front of you

faced down.

WHAT TO DO:
=Match each card with their corresponding card. Ex.

Ace of hearts with Ace of hearts, etc...

RULES:
=Once there is a match, leave the cards face up. If

you choose two cards that don't match EXACTLY, turn

them face down again for you next turn.
==In between each turn, whether you match or don't

match the two cards, you must wait exactly a minute

(use the watch)
=The game is over when all cards are turned face up.

OK, so we have the cards out. Ready to begin a game

of life. All the cards out on the table. Your first

turn...

Randomly, because you don't know anything yet.

Nothing of what the cards hold. Just like a child

entering the world.
7 Clubs, 2 Diamonds. No match, flip them down.
Wait a minute.
...
3 hearts, Q Spades. No match, flip them down.
Another minute.
...
10 Clubs, 9 spades. No match, flip them down.
Another minute.
...

As several turns go by, IF, and only if, by luck, you

may have one, maybe two matches already. After all,

there is a bit of luck in everyone's lives, right?

2 Diamonds, 2 Diamonds. HEY, a match. Leave them

faced up.
Another minute.
...

What do the cards symbolize? Choices? Events?

Occurences? Decisions? Anything, anything that could

happen in life. To be honest, the choice is up to

you of what they represent. If you want to spice up

the game, before each card turn, think of a decision

or an event, and what you would want the outcome to

be. Then flip two cards...
2 Spades, 8 Hearts. No match, flip them down.
Another minute.
...

Didn't happen. Didn't go through. That decision now

is gone, taken, and resulted in something you didn't

want, or maybe it resulted in something you did want.

Only you would know.

As the game goes on, several thing start to happen.

Firstly, you begin to plan, to strategize you moves.
"OK, I am going to pick this card, and then the other

shuld be here". You begin to feel emotions-- ALL

emotions. You feel relieved when a match is produced.

You feel betrayed when a match isn't produced. Will

you trust yourself, or even the cards?
Secondly, during that minute wait, what will you do?

Will you think about your last move, or plan your

next move? This minute wait could represent a time

frame in your life: a day, month, year...decade?

This time frame is when you think about your actions,

talk to yourself about whether it ended the way you

wanted, or if it ended the way it had to be. Will

you think, ponder, wait the full minute? Anticipate

your next move? Or will you watch tv, read a book,

check on dinner during this minute. Will you occupy

your mind with something else in order to not come to

the decision of which cards to turn.
"When it happens, I'll make the decision....(I bet

your thinking). But until then...I'll pretend its

not there, as you keep yourself busy with the little

things in life."
Is this denial? Ignorance? Or is planning the cards,

looking at the faced down cards for that minute to

painful. You are curious, you want to overturn all

of the cards and end it. Do you really want to, or

have to, or even need to? Can you do that in real

life?

3hearts, 4 spades. No match, flip them down.
Another minute.
...
9 clubs, 10 hearts. No match, flip them down.
Another minute.
...
These minutes are dragging on aren't they. Longer

and longer each time.
K hearts, 3 diamonds. No match, flip them down.
Another minute.
...
6 hearts, 6 hearts. Hey, a match. Wow. THAT was

unexpected.
Another minute.

Unexpected? Why? does everything in life have to be

expected? Planned? Do you fear the unexpected?

Ok, here we are. An exam: you study, you write, you

see your mark. What is your mark? Is it what you

expected?
A hearts, 5 diamonds. Nope. Not what you wanted. Is

it better or worse though? You'll never know, but all

you do know is that it wasn't expected.

7 hearts, 3 spades. No match, flip them down.
Another minute.
...
5 diamonds, J hearts. No match, flip them down.
Another minute.
...
8 clubs, 7 hearts. No match, flip them down.
Another minute.
...

WAIT, wait a sec, you think during your minute. That

card, looks familiar. Too familiar. The 7 of hearts.

You've seen it recently, have you. You try to

remember. Now the real emotions and feelings come

out. You remember that you DID see it recently, but

where? Well, you know the one 7, the one you just

flipped up, then down again. 3rd row, 8th column.

Now, the second 7 of hearts. You remember it was in

this area, over here. Ah, yes, its all coming back.

The past, you remember a choice that happened before

and didn't turn to your favour. But can you re-do

that choice, make it right again? Lets see. Think,

think, almost a minute up.
12 seconds...11 seconds... It was in this corner,

had to be one of these 3 cards, but which. 8

seconds...7 seconds... AH, this one, it has to be

this one, HAS to be.
Happiness, comfort, trust, faith, all those emotions

when you know you are right, it has to be right.

Logic says it is...you even feel it, want it...do you

doubt yourself?
Minutes up, time to choose.
The first, the easier one, 7 of hearts...ok, good.

Got one, now the other. So, in this area, one of

these three cards, must be this one. Alright, here we

go....anticipation, expectations, ready to have a big

smile on your face, even though it is half there..you

turn....
6 of clubs. No match, flip them down.
Another minute.
...

WHAT? HOW? You could have sworn it was the 7, the 7

you wanted, the 7 you needed. But it wasn't. How

could this be? You stare at it a bit, then flip them

faced down and think. How could I have been so sure?

Where did I go wrong? And now you start to analyze

what happened, where was the mistake, how could you

fix it. Maybe it wasn't that card, but the one next

to it, you think.
"ah yes, thats right, how stupid of me to do

that...ok, next time" (Is there always a next time)

10 seconds...9 seconds...
Anticipation again. You know it is for sure this

time. I mean, it has to be. 2 seconds...1 second.

GO. You rush, turning over the first 7 of

hearts...the KNOWN 7 of hearts, and look at the next

intended card. Here we go, you turn...
9 of diamonds. No match, flip them down.
Another minute.
...

AGAIN? How? Now you question yourself. How could this

happen again? Now you start doubting yourself, are

you sure of what you are doing? How can you be sure.

Will you, in frusteration, flip over all the cards to

check, or walk away from the game, running from the

game of life (suicide?) or will you wonder. Hurt now,

trying to figure out what happened? Is it the cards?

Is it you? Its a trick, it can't be you, its the

cards, it has to be. They are rigged...aren't they?

NOW, what do you do? Do you try again, try for the 7

of hearts again. Will you base your decision on

chance, on luck? It has to be there, right? Denial?

Are you telling yourself what you want to hear? Will

you try again, or leave it for later, leave it for a

few days, weeks, months, years? AHA, I know what you

are thinking, lets take away some other cards around

it and improve the chances of finding that 7 of

hearts. You are now obsessed with that 7, that card,

mysterious card. OK, leave it, for now, but it isn't

out of your mind, its always on your mind.

OK, lets see.
9 diamonds, and Joker.
What, Joker? What is this? No match, flip them down.
Another minute.
...

A joker, you think. Where did this come from. It

shouldn't be here, should it? Is this what life is

about, random events, based on choices? A joker? Is

this a curve ball? Unexpected, huh? Out of no where?
Are you confused? scared? Will you continue. Its a

risk though. A risk. What a bad four letter word.

RISK. With it, the fear of things not turning out for

you, the fear of defeat...the fear of faliure. Will

you risk it again? Aren't we all scared of faliure?

Maybe that is why there are some things we don't do,

we won't do, we deny ourself from, protect ourself

from, tell ourselves that we don't need it. Do we? I

don't know. I must be doing fine without it, so i

guess i don't. DO I?

Minute up, pick again.
3 spades, 3 spades. Good, another one down.
Are you happy you found another pair, or relieved? Do

you care anymore? You just want to finish, right?

BUT, not before you find that other 7 of hearts.

Awhile later, you turn again.
Q clubs, JOKER.
AGAIN?

But, How? Didn't you know it was out there. You did,

but it still got you. Tricky joker. Will it happen

again? Will you encounter this roadblock again? This,

waste of a turn? Now, you must wait another minute.

Another time frame to choose, until the next event.

That joker. Its there, you can't escape from it. You

know its there, but not exactly sure of where, or do

you? It hurts when it comes up, doesn't it. Expecting

soemthing, when its nothing in result. Or is it

nothing?
Is it a chance. A chance to see where a card is, the

other card you choose. Will you remember, for the

future's sake?
Only time will tell.

Minute's up, pick again.
4 spades, 4 spades. Good. ANother pair down. About

time.
Another minute.
...

3 hearts, 3 hearts. Wow, two in a row.
Another minute
...

9 diamonds, 9 diamonds. THREE in a row.
Another minute
...
Wow, Lucky streak. Will it be 4? What are the

possibilities.

7 spades, J clubs. No match, flip them down.
Another minute.
...

Luck ran out??

J hearts, J ---diamonds. Almost. No match, flip them

down.
Another minute.
...

I bet when this happened, your heart skipped a beat.

Thinking that you had another match. Thinking that

there was something there, when there really wasn't

in the first place. What a tease, the game is.

Amazing how it plays on your feelings and emotions,

huh?

A dozen or so cards left. Feeling pretty good, aren't

you.
That 7 of hearts is still out there though. Isn't it?

3 clubs, Joker.
No match, flip them down.
Another minute.
...

Again. Shoot. Thats right. The road block. Its still

there. Can't figure out why you did that. Rushing?

Not thinking?
Maybe.

Hey, whats that. The card in the corner. The one you
haven't touched, or even noticed, because it is out
in left field, off to the side. Will you choose it?
The temptation is there, isn't it. ANother feeling.
Wondering what the outcome is, what the face value
is...
A Spades...thats it? Well then...lets try this.
K diamonds. No match, flip them down.
Another minute.
...

Shoot. Thought something would come out of that. What

a rush.

...
6 cards left. Almost done.
You pick 2...
9 clubs, 9 clubs. Good. 4 left, almost done.
Heart beat is racing. That 7 of hearts will be found.

2 left now. Vicotry at last, isn't it?
Flip.
7 of hearts, Joker. No match, flip them down.
Another minute.
...

??? COnfused ???
I know I am. What gives.
Now you wonder. Now you question. HOW? How do you

finish? The game...its not finishable, is it. You

flip them down, wait a minute, then flip them up

again. Still the same. What gives.
Then you think of the discarded card from the
beginning, then one taken out...that MUST be the
missing card. You check, and it is. But, what does it
mean? Guess this isn't what you wanted, nor expected
was it? What do you think?

The game is over. Hopefully you have realized it.
Went by in a blur, emotions and feelings were felt.
Sometimes even anger, or annoyance. You wanted to
quit, but didn't. Thought it was stupid, yet
continued. Did you win, or did you lose? Well, thats
up to you. Its only a card game, right.

By the way, remember the last rule stated?
Go and read it again. When you flipped over the 7 of

hearts and Joker...weren't all the cards flipped up?
Yes....

The end. Not what you expected, huh?
But the end none the less.
How do you feel to end the game of life?

Did it go as planned?
I hope so....but i doubt it.

I hate this game.
Lets go back to Halo.....




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