Mahj

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Mahjong, Mahjong, Mahjong... Guess what I’ve been up to!

My days seem to roll right into Mahjong lessons before I even have a chance to sit down. I’m teaching one night after another, and I’m beginning to wonder if there’s anyone left on the planet who hasn’t learned to play! But they keep rolling in by the dozens, eager to learn, and I’m having a ball teaching them.

There doesn’t seem to be much rhyme or reason to who picks it up quickly and who struggles. Somehow, though, within the first 30 minutes of that very first lesson, I can usually tell who is going to have an “aha!” moment and who is going to need a little more time for the tiles to start making sense.

I had another round of first-time classes this week and methodically broke down the rules, etiquette, strategy, and actual play. By the end of one class, I walked out alongside an older couple, and the gentleman stopped to compliment me on what a great teacher I am. It’s always nice to end a long day with a few kind words, and I have to admit, I’ll happily take the compliment!

Back at home, poor Tim is beginning to feel like a Mahjong widower. I leave him home each night to fend for himself while I’m out teaching. We’re definitely going to have to get better at syncing our schedules. Although, in my defense, I tried! He usually played cards every Tuesday night, so I booked my Tuesday Mahjong classes around that. Of course, then his card night shifted... so I’m pretty sure that one is on him!

We’ll just have to officially schedule a date night. Either that, or Tim is going to have to sign up for a Mahjong lesson. 

As long as the 12 hour workdays come with a Mahjong evening at the end, I actually really enjoy the brain shift. Teaching forces me to narrow my focus down to one thing, rather than having the 47 open brain tabs that normally seem to fill my brain all at once. For a few hours, there is only Mahjong, the people sitting around the table, and the next hand to figure out.

That single-minded focus is surprisingly therapeutic for a busy brain. And watching the moment when someone suddenly understands what they’re doing, when the confusion turns into confidence, is probably just as rewarding for me as it is for them.

So, yes, my schedule may currently revolve around Mahjong, and yes, Tim may be suffering from a temporary case of Mahjong widowhood. But I’m reminded once again that sometimes the things that fill your calendar are also the things that fill your cup. And if I can teach people a game they’ll enjoy for years while giving my own busy brain a few hours of peace, I’d say that’s a pretty good deal.

“The mind is not a vessel to be filled, but a fire to be kindled.” — Plutarch