Solitaire

[Aucoq]

I've recently been playing a lot of Klondike (what most call Solitaire) while writing a story for another thread.  The more I played the more I realized that Solitaire is, in fact, a rather accurate metaphor for life.  You see, like each one of our lives Solitaire ultimately has only four possible outcomes.

The first outcome is that you play the game and, with a little thinking and a lot of luck, you win.  No matter how little you think you still win because it's technically impossible for you to lose.

The second outcome is that it's possible to win.  But the only way to actually win is to be able to have the foresight to know what effect your current action has on the (at the time unknowable) actions and possibilities of the future.  In other words, to win you need to know that the one move you're about to make is going to seal your fate twenty moves down the road before you make the move in the first place.  Or, again, luck comes into play and you manage to unknowingly make the right choices therefore winning.

The third outcome is that you lose from the get-go.  You never had a chance to win.  You never even had a chance to play.  There was only one way to move one card, and that move ends the game before it even starts.

I've noticed that the fourth outcome, like in life, is by far the most common.  You've been playing the game for a long time.  You've had to make tough decisions.  When you've made a mistake, you managed to recover.  Most of the time, you're able to think clearly enough and far enough into the future to make the right decisions.  You've lined all your ducks up in a row.  You can taste victory.  You know the end is just around the corner.  All your hard work and wise decisions are about to pay off.  And then BAM!  GAME OVER.  You lose.  You freak out.  You look back at the game to try to figure out what the hell happened.  You look at the situation.  Then you realize that, like the third outcome, there was no chance in hell you could win the game.  All possible paths led to the same destination: failure.  You punch your computer screen or throw your playing cards across the room.  You spent all that time and effort and energy playing a game you could never win to begin with.

Such is life.  But you know what?  I still love playing Solitaire when I'm bored or need a break even though I know I'll lose 9 out of 10 games no matter what I do.  Why?  I don't know.  I guess because even though I know what the inevitable outcome is it's still a fun game to play.

[Phox]

I'm Doktor Phox, and I approve this message.

Well done, friend. I thoroughly enjoyed this piece. 

[Mesozoic Mister Nigel]

Very Nice!

[Aucoq]

Thank you so much, guys.  I really appreciate the kind words.

[Cardinal Pizza Deliverance.]

Cool. I need a deck of cards.