This is my first installment of Thankful Thursday. I will try to make a weekly note and tribute to something for which I am truly thankful.

Games 

Ever since I can remember, I have been enthralled with games. Games possess so many endearing qualities. It is one of life’s treasures. I refer to games as “Fitness Of The Mind”. There are countless studies that show that regular game play hones abstract reasoning skills, pattern recognition, and problem solving. Who wants to sit down and hone skills liek that… Not many. Cleverly disguised in a fun package that is full of theme and fun, games offer a way to develop these skills without even realizing it. It is very similar to the cereal commercials where kids are tricked into eating healthy because it actually tastes good. This is not my reason for playing games though, just a cool benefit.

Games are a great social activity where you can immerse yourself in play. That’s right, play. Along our life journey, we often lose the art of play. Life comes along with all of the serious side effects it has to offer and we set aside our ability to play. A healthy diet of games keeps that youthful seed alive and nourishes an outlook that can often see the light side of serious situations. Balance.

The challenge of solving a puzzle or a problem is quite the thrill for many people. Games offer so many avenues for strategic and tactical thinking. Lateral thinkers will approach these challenges in a myriad of creative ways. The variety of challenge is endless. Sometimes it is a means to set aside the worries of the outside world for awhile and press the reset switch on your brain.

This past few years I have really focused on games and the art of play. We play a number of games each week and these involve a variety of friends and family. I feel very blessed to have the opportunity, the time, and the friends to bring my passion for board games to life.

I am clocking in at about 250 games right now, although some of those are variants using the same pieces. There is enough variety to satisfy anyone’s interest and skill level. Here is a list of my game collection, as listed on Board Game Geek.

http://www.boardgamegeek.com/viewcollection.php3?username=bixby&own=1&startletter=ALL&galleryview=1 

You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation. – Plato Greek philosopher 427-347 BCE