Playing at Work, or Is It?

Do you ever get caught at your computer playing your favorite game? I think I am looking extremely involved in whatever I am working on when suddenly someone that I did not hear with my ninja ears is walking in and talking at the same time, asking me a vital question about something I need to have done very soon.

Isn’t it just hilarious? Usually, I am supposed to be doing something important and am trying to waste some time because I don’t have my ideas just yet. Often, I get carried away and play a whole lot longer that I should. I am unsure who set the time limit, but I suppose that little rule goes way back to some years long ago when I really was under more limitations than I am right now.

In that mode of pretending, I speak smartly to the person having just interrupted my winning game, and I try to sound ever so smart, in charge of what I am doing, and asking intelligent questions (or so I think).

Then I go right back to the game and try to win all over again.

What is this all-absorbing game, you ask? Well, Mahjong, of course. If you do not know of it, you can find it easily on the Internet. There are several different versions, and of course they can be easy, medium or hard.

I have tried many different kinds, but of course I like to win, so I am driven by that all-important goal.

So, what happens if I do not win? And I go over my set time limit?

Ah, yes, this is an ending result that causes me anxiety, and so I may even have to figure out a strategy. Well, no, it would not be fun to stop playing forever.

Ah, yes, I need to continue playing until I become bored with it, right? I could even decide that it’s okay to play in my downtime and not feel guilty at all.

Yes, I knew that my Guardian Angel was watching out for me!

Mary Jane Berger, OSB

Photo by Jimmy Chan on Pexels.