Side Gig

​

The last thing I need in this world is a side gig…but here I am, signed up to start teaching Mahjong.

When I learned the game years ago, I had no idea it would become the hottest game in town, with everyone clamoring to learn. For the past few months I’ve been teaching friends, and every Tuesday night we gather at my house to play, with the 8 p.m. work night curfew firmly in place, with no apologies.

Now I’ll be teaching for the town, offering classes to what I assumed would be a broader group of people. But when registration opened, the texts started rolling in from family and friends, all saying they were there the minute it went live to sign up for my class, and it filled in a red-hot minute. It will be interesting to see if anyone I don’t know actually made it into the class!

I’ve already agreed to continue teaching throughout the summer season, although I’m charging a bit more for that session, my summer hours are clearly worth more than my winter ones.

It’s kind of amazing that people will pay to learn a game. Imagine if we all had to pay to learn Monopoly?

I grew up playing chess, every board game under the sun, and plenty of card games. With four kids born within a five-year stretch, we had the perfect board-game brood. My own kids played and learned all the classics as well, and they’re always quick to pick up any new game that comes along. They all learned Mahjong and I'm thrilled my daughter loves it and has even taught her husband. 

Mahjong takes a while to learn, but once you understand it, it’s incredibly fun, and a little addictive.

I’m excited to teach my first official class. And the best part? I scheduled it so I’ll still make it home before my self-imposed curfew.

Who knew Mahjong would be the thing adding one more item to my calendar? But if it means more game nights, more laughter, a few new players joining the fun, and this time around a bit of cash in my pocket...I guess it’s not the worst side gig to have. I might even make another friend or two along the way...if anyone new made it into my class! 

“You can discover more about a person in an hour of play than in a year of conversation.” ~ Plato