Sequence: Who Says You Can’t Teach an Old Dog New Tricks?

For the record, I don’t do numbers well.

This week, we went on our second camping trip of the summer. We met old friends and enjoyed four days of camping bliss–well, they would have been blissful if it hadn’t rained for two days and been so cold at night.

Getting together with old friends is always fun, and since they are higher up the food chain than we are–they camp in a trailer while we’re stuck in a tent–we had the opportunity to enjoy a few hours playing a new board game called Sequence in the warmth and comfort of their house on wheels. 

We played the game as partners — men against the women. While Rob and Faye were veterans of the game, neither John nor I had played before. Now, that being said, you would expect that we’d be equally matched. Not so! Faye and I, with a lot of luck and a little skill, managed to beat them two matches to one. Since the game involves creating sequences by playing specific cards, I never expected to be very good at it, but I surprised myself because of a new skill I’ve acquired this past year. And what skill might that be? Why plotting of course.

When I write a novel, I am constantly looking and thinking about what’s going to happen next. In other words, I sequence the story: a to b to c to d to e. The game was basically the same. Play card a, look to see where card b might go and so on until you build a five card sequence. Like writing a story, you hit roadblocks– the opposition tries to stop you just as you try to stop them. In the end, like a good novel, the sequence is complete, and the game is over.

While I enjoyed playing the game, it was nice to spend a few relaxing days with friends dear to my heart. I may never be good with numbers, but I’ve become a pretty decent Sequence player. I guess an old dog can learn new tricks!