Senior Bingo!

The first time I took my elderly gal pal to the Senior Center for bingo I was surprised by how very serious folks were about the game. I'd imagined a benign, good-natured game. But, I'll tell you what, those oldsters  wanted to play by the rules (which everyone knew backwards and forwards!), keep the game moving at a surprisingly fast clip and they had no room for slackers or the hard of hearing/seeing/understanding!
Like many older people they also seemed to like all the routines inherent in the game and didn't appreciate anyone deviating from them one little lick. So, after winning the previous round a fella suggested a new way to play the next round (that's your perrrogative when you win is to call the next game). I thought there might be violence. People were visibly upset and cranky. There were some mean spirited comments made and more than a few faces scrunched up in frustration and anger. Fortunately, the 18 year old easy going guy that calls the game helped them navigate this turbulence with patience, a great sense of humor and a genuine appreciation for their struggles.
In telling this story to a friend, she suggested bingo protective gear. You know, like helmuts and mouth guards just in case!!!