Hate The Game

There I was, sitting with some friends after a recent improv show. I had thought of just going home, but I generally figure that impulse to be borne of faulty thinking when it comes, so I consented to hang out instead. We had some wine, some stale Pringles and some popcorn. We talked for a while, and the idea came up that we might play a game. A brief survey outlined the various possibilities, which were actually few in number.

We settled on Scene It. The game is incredibly complicated for a trivia game, or maybe it just seemed that way because I payed so little attention to the introductory video. The game depends heavily on an accompanying DVD, and plays clips you have to answer questions about. I'm not sure I understand the game even now, but that's really now what I was interested enough to write about. Games and refreshments are only lubricants for the real game of interacting with others.

Counting myself, there were three girls and four guys. When the time came to select teams, it was proposed that we play along gender lines. I was opposed to this idea. It's true enough that in the past I was no fan of girls. I'm speaking of course about when I was around seven years old. Since then I've come to appreciate them, and I make an effort to be around them and to cultivate cordial relationships, not adversarial ones.

The game was at times somewhat contentious. I suppose that liquor and competition will do that. Ultimately the boys triumphed, but it seemed to be something of a pyrrhic victory to me. In any case, as I noted, the stakes were not incredibly high. On the line was nothing more than bragging rights that were likely to be forgotten within twenty-four hours.  I have no desire to fray relations over that. Luckily enough, there seemed to be no hard feelings and the game was just light entertainment after all, but next time I want some girls on my team.