Our edition of Rummikub is at least 40 years old. In the game, every player gets 14 tiles with numbers in various colors on them. The goal is to build chains of numbers and colors in order to get rid of all your slabs. It takes luck, a good eye, and quick thinking to win.
Every day, I could be doing a million things to “relax.” From fully immersing myself in a virtual world where I slice blocks with lightsabers to the beat of a song to digging on crypto Twitter for the next great investment to ogling at Pokémon cards and prices—in today’s world, boredom is optional.
Rummikub is a relic from a different time. A time with fewer options, less to do, and not as much instant gratification. “I’m bored. Let’s play Rummikub!” I used to say that. Now, Rummikub must be a deliberate decision. A break from the endless stream of brain activity and entertainment that awaits behind any screen. If I don’t “choose” boredom first, I’ll never play Rummikub, and that would be a shame.
Yesterday, I played with my fiancée, mom, and dad. We laughed. We thought. We learned new ways of playing the game. And Rummikub is only one of many board games we have in our basement.
Every now and then, close the laptop. Pretend you’re bored. Choose a game. And do what would remain if technology didn’t exist: Talk, think, and connect.
