Hurricane Mahjongg

Life has certainly been interesting since my last post. An earthquake rolled under my feet on Tuesday.  On Friday I saw panic-induced fistfights at the local gas station. Then I spent a weekend huddled in my house as 300-mile-wide hurricane barrelled up I-95.  And I went pie twice.  Did you hear that?  I went pie not once but twice.  Going pie twice, oh my God, why me????

While my priorities may be called into question, events this week made clear the de minimus control I have over things more far reaching than what to wear to work. Earthquakes and hurricanes do not stop to listen to  my puny exhortations, and, alas, neither do the tiles.  I sat and suffered for two nights watching other players win hand after hand, unable to make an exposure, much less mahjongg.  This game, like Mother Nature herself, can be frustrating, unrewarding and cruel.  Sometimes I think do I even really know how to play? 

I like to pretend that I can prepare myself for the hodgepodge of tiles I sometimes see.  No pairs.  No jokers. No hand.  Make one, I think. Oh, I got a 2 in the passing.  I'll put it here and do 2468.  Oh, now I got a 5 bam, that makes two five bams.  I'll pass away the two and do 579.  No, wait....I'll collect winds!  By then it's too late, the Charleston is over.  Sometimes I think it's best to pick a random hand, regardless of whether or not I have any tiles for it.  At least I'll be an active participant instead of a passive spectator.  Hmm.. I have nothing that goes together, but I do have a West so I'll play winds.  Any winds that come I will keep.  Aggh...someone just exposed four Easts...well, I can keep her from winning.  Too bad there is no such thing as mahjongg insurance.  But that wouldn't work if everyone took out a policy at the same time.

Well, my strategies did not help me this week, but I was lucky all I lost was $14.  I did learn some things, though.  I learned who helps who out in an emergency and who runs out of the building to save their skin.  I learned to take a rain check and not play mahjongg during a major storm, and I learned that I have as much control over the tiles as I do over anything else in life, and it is a great gift simply to have the leisure time and wherewithal to play at all.  But I think I already knew that.  And I think my friends who are digging out, drying out and waiting for the power to come back on know that too.

Happy mahj!