That’s me, front row,
second from left.
Students were required to
participate in a club. I chose this one more for its name than the description
with which it was accompanied…”activities will be playing cards, and board
games”.
I was never much into
board games or card games. But “Leisure Club” had an air of a British Gentleman’s
Society.
So, I arrived.
I sat through the whole
of the first episode, content to watch and observe.
You see, my activity is
to observe, calculate, anticipate people in their activities, hobbies, and such,
and then record my findings.
Oh for sure, I will
become involved in a hobby or activity enough to gain a better idea of what it
is my objects of observation are doing and how best to describe the situation.
But my true hobby is to
write about such people and their hobbies, activities, accolades, and
adventures.
People are genuinely
fascinating!
Some play cards very competitively,
truly reaching toward the win at any cost.
Others play cards quite
casually, paying more attention to the jokes that classmates tell.
During leisure club there
at Concord in 1969 I could light on to the subtle way in which people
flirt and flourish in romantic innuendo.
Oh, I have notes I must
never share!
After a few such episodes
of casual observation rather than participation, Mr. Grieser and Mr. Cassels approached
me and presented me with the ultimatum “You will have to participate or find
another club”.
And so I found a game to
join.
To this day, I am never
as good at participation as I am at being witness to how others participate.
You see, I believe God
creates each person as some truly wonderful work of divine art.
I love witnessing the
interaction of divinely orchestrated human experience.
I have discovered and I
assert, no matter who you are, you’ve got talent!
Participate in the divine
orchestra.
I’ll take (discreetly descriptive) notes.
