It seems unlikely, but I won this game of backgammon.
Look at that. I have four pieces pinned in white’s home quadrant. I would have to roll a seven — an impossibility on a D6 — to even get one piece out, let alone four.
But things developed quickly. White began consolidating his pieces into the pegs I didn’t occupy, and I hit double sixes, which allowed me to move all four pieces out of white’s home quadrant.
A few turns later, and I had moved a piece off the board while white had not.
I offered to double…
White resigned.
I was in a good position, but not a great one. I thought white, which had doubled earlier in the game would accept, because the outcome of this game was not assured. A good roll for white, a bad roll for me, and the game would have turned quickly.
Still, a win is a win, and in this case, to get get to that position felt like a win.
An elderly man, stooped over, limping, cut in front of me in line at Dollar General.
The cashier pointed him towards me and said the line was “back there,” behind me. There was no one behind me, I was in not hurry, and I gave a hand-wave and said it was fine, I didn’t mind.
He was buying five bags of candy. He tried putting it on his card. It came back declined. “Suspicious,” the cashier said. He tried it again. Same result. He was flustered and confused.
“I’ll take care of it,” I said. “I got you covered.”
I’m unemployed.
I’m scared. I haven’t had an interview since August.
My first unemployment check came yesterday, after a month of bureaucracy and appeals.
My father had been in the hospital since Sunday.
This elderly man was confused. He didn’t understand. “I can give you cash,” he said.
“Life is short,” I said. “Take a bit of kindness.”
There is good in this world. Make some good in this world.