Oct. 13

When I’m wrong, I’m wrong and I admit it. Ladies and Gentlemen, there are two ways (at least) to play checkers. I live my life through metaphors; some I have to look for, some look me right in the eye. This is an illustration of the second.

This afternoon my sitemate and I discussed our various experiences with what is known as “culture shock”. We’re both experiencing it to varying degrees (read previous blogs) but we can both see it’s clearly happening.

The interesting thing about culture shock is that it’s completely inevitable. No matter how much you think you know. How controlled or enlightened you think you are, misunderstandings and frustrations are bound to occur. And even as you know this and prepare for it, it cannot be prevented. It takes hold of you in the strangest of moments. Caught completely unawares, you fall into a kind of discontented alarm. It’s fight or flight. You versus them; a battle of wills ensues, which you will ultimately lose.

I’ve been staying away from this game of checkers (see previous blog), but tonight after my got my eyebrows plucked (with string – it’s really strange but amazingly, it works) by my aunt (after curiously watching my grandmother get hers plucked –they look great, by the way). My brother brought out the old game of checkers.

We’ve been on somewhat sour terms since that last debacle but I was feeling relaxed and not at all expectant, so I figured, “why not”. I knew I would lose, I knew he would make the same moves as before. I was resigned to defeat.

And then as we were playing I noticed a method to his moves. They weren’t wayward as I once assumed. I began to make the same moves. As the pieces disappeared from the board, I realized I wasn’t playing the same game of checkers. I was playing a new game, with new rules, and this one just as interesting. I lost 5 times out of 6 (the 5th time I won by 8!).

Afterward I had a new respect not only for him (he’s incredibly smart and doesn’t try to cheat, accepting both victory and defeat without creating a scene) but also for PC life itself. Perhaps I’m reaching, but I feel like I understand some basic truth which previously eluded me. Tonight I realized, not just intellectually, but with my entire being, that there is, in fact, more than one way to play checkers.

PS - as many of you have noticed, I now approve all comments before they can be posted on the blog. This is just in case I get some wayward comment from someone I don't know. Anyway, this also means that you can leave me personal posts which I can read, but can elect to keep private. Sometimes I'm not sure if people want everyone to see their comments or not, so please just write "don't post" or something like that so I know if you would rather not everyone see it.

Thanks!