The Game
So, I've been thinking about The Game recently. This is unfortunate, seeing as how once you've thought of it you've lost. I suspect half the flist will at this point be swearing and slapping their foreheads like people cursed by particularly annoying mosquitoes, and the other half will be confused. So, for the other half: if you know about The Game, you are playing. You can only win The Game by forgetting that you are playing. If you lose (by remembering) you are duty bound to tell the surrounding company that you have lost, whereupon they will either lose as well or ask you what it is, at which point you will tell them and they will be playing too. The Game, on the other hand, wins if everyone in the whole world is thinking about it all the time. This may sound unlikely but, after all, The Game is a form of mental pyramid scheme and it was pretty unlikely that a pyramid scheme would bring down the government of Albania -- until it happened. I suspect The Game might like to start a little smaller, perhaps by bringing down the government of Liechtenstein or causing unusually large traffic jams or something.
Actually, I have come of late to realise that the dreadful day when The Game brings down the government of Liechtenstein is getting more and more likely. See, it's not just a case of mild irritation any more: I have developed second stage Game. It has physical symptoms. And the thing about The Game is, you're compelled to spread the version you have of it around. So:
A few weeks ago I was helping mirabehn and evil_nick move house, a process which involved much putting of Things on top of other Things. It so happened that I was carrying a metal Thing downstairs when (it being a metal Thing of poor structural integrity) it slipped; and, in the process of slipping, it slightly displaced my glasses. Suddenly I could see my nose. This was most disconcerting. Despite the intrusion of a large pink object into this most distracting part of my field of vision, I steadfastly continued carrying the metal Thing to the van, whereupon I readjusted my glasses and found that I could still see my nose.
-I can see my nose, I announced. This, as it turns out, was a Mistake. borusa, who was loading the van, countered with
-I can feel my tongue.
It suddenly occurred to me that I could feel my tongue too. It didn't feel very nice. In fact it felt a little as if a fat, bland-tasting toad had crawled into my mouth and sat down.
-I'm aware that I'm breathing, said purplepiano, coming up behind me with more luggage. At which point not only did I have a fuzzy pink blob in the centre of my vision and a toad in my mouth, but I also suddenly had to devote a section of conscious control to making sure that I carried on inhaling and exhaling correctly. And then...
-I've just lost The Game! announced evil_nick triumphantly.
Thus, alas, are neural connections made. Now, whenever I lose The Game (which has of late been rather frequently), I find myself acutely, uncomfortably able to see my nose, feel my tongue and breathe. Please, share my pain?
Actually, I have come of late to realise that the dreadful day when The Game brings down the government of Liechtenstein is getting more and more likely. See, it's not just a case of mild irritation any more: I have developed second stage Game. It has physical symptoms. And the thing about The Game is, you're compelled to spread the version you have of it around. So:
A few weeks ago I was helping mirabehn and evil_nick move house, a process which involved much putting of Things on top of other Things. It so happened that I was carrying a metal Thing downstairs when (it being a metal Thing of poor structural integrity) it slipped; and, in the process of slipping, it slightly displaced my glasses. Suddenly I could see my nose. This was most disconcerting. Despite the intrusion of a large pink object into this most distracting part of my field of vision, I steadfastly continued carrying the metal Thing to the van, whereupon I readjusted my glasses and found that I could still see my nose.
-I can see my nose, I announced. This, as it turns out, was a Mistake. borusa, who was loading the van, countered with
-I can feel my tongue.
It suddenly occurred to me that I could feel my tongue too. It didn't feel very nice. In fact it felt a little as if a fat, bland-tasting toad had crawled into my mouth and sat down.
-I'm aware that I'm breathing, said purplepiano, coming up behind me with more luggage. At which point not only did I have a fuzzy pink blob in the centre of my vision and a toad in my mouth, but I also suddenly had to devote a section of conscious control to making sure that I carried on inhaling and exhaling correctly. And then...
-I've just lost The Game! announced evil_nick triumphantly.
Thus, alas, are neural connections made. Now, whenever I lose The Game (which has of late been rather frequently), I find myself acutely, uncomfortably able to see my nose, feel my tongue and breathe. Please, share my pain?