Mental Tetris

It's The Shape(s) Of Things To Come



This is written specially as a pick-me-up for Keshi, who's had a few tough moments recently. Keep smiling, Keshi and I hope you find something worthy in this post. A couple of weeks ago, a friend of mine who has children the same age as my own, told me that she had a lot on her mind. From the intensity of what she said, I immediately figured she needed someone to listen to her, rather than someone to give her gratuitous advice.

So I listened. All it took was a few minutes of my time, and if we can't give our time to family, friends and those whose company we enjoy, who on earth do we give it to?

She told me she had a lot on her mind that morning. She had wanted to go to the gym, but someone had asked her instead if she wanted to attend an hour-long prayer meeting. A deeply religious person, a devoted mother and someone who generously gives what little spare time she has to others, she said she was just looking forward to a little ``me time'' at the gym.

But she went to the prayer meeting. And her voice resonated with self-belief when she told me that the period of reflection during the meeting had worked wonders for her.Then she told me what was on her mind. It was a major life decision - about whether to build an emotional bridge with someone who was - and is - an integral part of her life. I listened intently as she told me what the problem was.

Then, for the first time, I spoke. Quite honestly, I think I might have been blessed with a little divine help in what I told her, because the words were so clear and so structured that it seemed as though some higher power had written the script for me.

I told her that in order to make a clear-cut decision, we need to clear out some of the clutter in our own minds. Without that preparation, there is always the danger that a decision will be influenced by other extraneous factors on our mind.

She's a highly intelligent woman. She didn't need me to give her an example. But one suddenly sprang to mind. I told her that any mind-clearing exercise was like a game of ``Mental Tetris''. It's a neat simile. The precise geometrical Tetris blocks descend with increasing speed as they build up - and they become harder to clear away. But the game is so much easier if you consistently slot them into place and clear away the coloured blocks. It's a bit like life, isn't it?

By the way, the story has a happy ending. She made her decision. She extended her hand across the oceans - literal and metaphorical - that separated her from the person who was once so critical in her life. I think there's a lot going for Mental Tetris. Try it today - and let me know what you think.