Apart from the enjoyment of the game, I just like its name. We live in a world that needs bridges. Sadly, we seem instead to be building walls, the most dismal being the one along the US-Mexico border, whose only redeeming feature is that it doesn’t exist and probably never will.
But as well as the name, I like the way bridge classifies the four suits of the deck of cards it uses.
Two suits are referred to as ‘majors’. They’re hearts and spades. That seems to celebrate two of the more positive aspects of human existence, affection and hard work (please don’t write to tell me that this isn’t the derivation of ‘spades’ – I know and it’s of no importance – the word is spades and spades are for digging, and that’s all that matters to me).
On the other hand, the minors, inferior to the other two, are diamonds and clubs. A certain type of precious stone may or may not be a girl’s best friend but is certainly, and above all, an ostentatious display of wealth. Similarly, a club may well provide an opportunity for entertainment (perhaps even by playing bridge), but also and very often acts to separate out a self-appointed elite from the excluded masses.
Love and work preferred over wealth and elitism? My kind of values.
Greater, of course, than any of the suits is the fifth bridge option, known as No Trumps. It’s hard to imagine what could be more appropriate, given what looks like the probable outcome of the US election in November.
No Trump: something to pray for. Whether or not you’re a bridge player.
2 comments:
I simply have no idea what so ever about bridge. However dementia v lies is easier to understand but an impossible choice.
What makes it worse is that neither of them seems able to speak coherently. What a tragedy that a nation with so much talent couldn't come up with two candidates slightly more impressive than the ones apparently heading for the election (unless the Democratic party can get its act together in extremis)
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