Silly Customers

Over the past week, we've had several customers in the store looking
for games to play with their children. They might come in asking for
Risk or Battleship, but they want something to play.

Inevitably they ask, "What else would you recommend?" I try to stay
away from anything too exotic like Puerto Rico, Power Grid, or even
Settlers. I try to recommend for that seven to ten year old age
things like Blokus, Quarto, maybe Carcassonne, or Ticket to Ride. The
answer I get is always the same:

"I want something I played as a child. It's fun to remember."

Nostalgia is fine and all, but somehow I wonder how much we miss out
by getting to a point in our lives where we say, "No thanks, I'm tired
of learning something new, I just want the old stuff." Life is meant
to be lived. We can't always look to the past and wish for days gone
by.

The funny thing is that Julie and I were talking the other day and she
mentioned that my gaming buddies and I tend to be just the opposite.
We want the new experience, we desire the new game. So much so that
Puerto Rico hasn't hit my gaming table in well over a year (that'll
have to change very soon). I suppose that a happy medium is in order.

Someday I hope not to become as much of a curmudgeon as I say I am,
but when, or if I do, feel free to slap me. Especially if I say I
don't want to try a new game!