Scrabbling around

This was the family game and went everywhere with us over the years.

My parents even still, have an old travel version, (complete with a home made letter bag, made from left over cushion material from the settee on one of boats), a visual reminder of our previous life style.

Mum & I would often be seen in the shade under the awning on the coachroof of Kim, squeezing in a game between her jobs, and trying unsuccessfully to avoid the unbearable heat and humidity and afternoon sun.

She’d take ages with some turns though, aiming for the 7-letter word and furiously shuffling her tiles around, and meanwhile I’d be easily entertained by all sorts of life going on around me, dinghies chugging or rowing past, waves from familiar faces, yachts gliding by under sail, or cruise and freight ships manoeuvring at the docks.

Of course back then she always beat me, confounding me with words that I’d never heard of, but I kept persevering and kept playing, with a frustrated, fiercely competitive determination. She would never bow to letting me win, preferring instead to show me how I could improve my game, by always doing her best to win. She did compromise over the rules though, allowing changing the blank back as part of a turn, using a dictionary, and referring to our 2-letter word list as needed. (Written out laboriously by going through the dictionary page by page).

I can’t remember when I started winning, but I did eventually, and achieving the erstwhile unattainable 7-letter words, another milestone in my development as an enthusiast and I felt a sense of huge accomplishment

We’ve played on boats and beaches, in campers at dusk, on tables at airports, in the Winnibago on Vancouver Island, and in settings far more significant than the game ever could be.

After leaving the nest I bought my own set, seeking out other like-minded souls to play with. In the eighties I was married to a man of many words, and we played hundreds of times in unusual places, in campers, on boats, trains and planes. I’ve even kept a few old scoring books, in which each game is dated and with our location at the time.

Now I play with gadgeteen occasionally, and see his concentration, competitive frustration and enthusiasm as my own was.

I play to win like my mum did.

And one day he’ll win fair and square and feel the same sense of achievement that I did.