I Don’t Play Well With Others

I remember as a little girl, playing cards with my mother, my aunts and my uncles for hours and hours on end.

The games ranged from the simple like gin to the complicated, like pinochle.

I loved playing those games from my youth…such wonderful memories, except for this.

My mother was the worst partner. She would taunt you, belittle you, make fun of your plays, and if she lost, she would claim that it was because of bad luck and not bad playing on her part. She was an excellent player but she was a card monster. I would do whatever I could to not be her partner but instead beg my aunts, my uncles and my sister into being partners with me.

I’m forever scarred by it.

Those of you who know my mother would be surprised by this. But even my kids who witnessed her shooting squirrels out the back yard with her shotgun and watched her wield a meat cleaver on a chicken, will say, “Nanna’s tough.” Yes, kids, she certainly is.

I know she’s look nice and sweet, but don’t be fooled.

A couple of weekends ago, I talked a couple of men into letting me play pool with them. They were unaware of my competitive card-playing history.

This gentleman and I were partners…

And Miss Yvonne and Duane were partners.

It was not pretty.

The next day, I wrote to Duane’s wife Liz for a wonderful shrimp recipe that she served that night.

I wrote, “Hello Liz, I wanted to thank you so much for the wonderful party you put on for Beth on Saturday. She is blessed to have friends like you and your husband.

Speaking of Duane, I wanted to apologize to him for calling him a bad pool player. Actually, it was a little stronger than that. I get carried away when I play a game, I’m a bad winner and a bad loser. Most of my friends know this but we are strangers and I feel badly for what I said. In any case, I do have a request for the wonderful shrimp you made that evening. It had a peanutty Asian taste and everyone loved it. I would love to make it if you could part with the recipe!

Thank you so much and I hope to see both you and your husband again. I promise not to play pool with him.

Puna”

Duane responded before Liz, “Puna, If you are under the delusion that I am offended by you telling me I suck at pool, don’t worry. I took it in the spirit it was offered. I look forward to playing you again.

Duane”

He was very gracious, chivalry is not dead. I remembered this as I was playing Balderdash with my kids and some friends last night. I hope I don’t warp them.

Posted on Gayle’s Monday Memories.