Old Board Games

I have a confession to make. It's been weighing heavy on my heart now for quite some time. I don't want to hurt my family but I believe it's time to get everything out in the open.

I'm addicted to old board games .

It actually started when I was younger. I can remember playing Monopoly with my family. I didn't really understand what was going on , like the strategic significance of those green little houses or why Park Place and Broadway cost so much. Yet there was definitely and attraction.

As time passed, I was introduced to a slew of other games. Clue, Sorry!, Trouble, Life...it was a veritable smörgåsbord of non-stop fun. Soon I found myself perusing games based on the popular game shows I had come to respect and adore at the local department stores. Family Feud, The Price Is Right, The Match Game, and Jeopardy. I didn't realize it at the time but my heart had been given over.

For years I tried to ignore it, filling my spare time with alternatives: cards, arcade games, and finally computer games. I thought that I had kicked the habit but to my chagrin, I found it was simply lurking, waiting for the right moment to resurrect.

That moment came recently while quietly enjoying the game of Life. After two and a half hours of playing well into midnight, I found myself wanting to play again. But not just life, any board game, preferably one that took me back to my youth, back to where it first began.

The monster had once again reared its ugly head with a vengeance because not only did I want to play them but I wanted to dig deeper and know more about them: when were they made, who came up with the idea for the game, how many versions had come out, what prompted the making of the gam....well...suffice it to say, I'm hooked.

But maybe it's not all that bad. I mean, maybe in my addiction I can show people the joy of old board games. Take the good with the bad.

I could tell people how old board games bring families together in relationship through interaction. They may even spark story of nostalgia and family history. Yeah.

Or maybe I could tell them how they are educational, teaching things like deductive reasoning (Clue), basic anatomy (Operation), or rudimentary life skills (Life). Yeah.

Or maybe...maybe I could just focus on one obvious point: they're just fun.

So there. It's no longer a secret. I'm officially addicted to old board games. Feels good to get that off my chest. Now....to go play one.