Solitaire is the king of procrastination activities. Which is why, naturally, I played for 45 minutes before I started writing this post (and since I completed a paragraph it's only fair to reward myself with a couple more games).
It's the game that is at the same time mindless and intellectually stimulating. This makes it perfect for tedious in-class post-morts when I can reason with myself that Solitaire is more helpful to my cerebral development than class, but I can still answer any question thrown at me.
It really does train your mind on strategy and patterns and memory, which has to be better for your mind than playing NHL 08 for days on end (which I sadly have done before). It keeps my mind sharp when working late into the night on a project and at the same time gives me a little break from what I'm working on so I don't go crazy.
I enjoy Solitaire so much that I've played 2166 games (of which 401 of them are wins. Not too shappy eh?). Forget about those new-fangled computer games that require the internet, Solitaire just requires enough power on your laptop to run it on low (good for those bus rides where internet connection is as rare as serious, potential owners for the Phoenix Coyotes). Or, if you're the retro type, you can use a deck of cards.
Solitaire doesn't have any flashy lights or sounds or graphics which takes me back to the good ol' days of my childhood where Game Boy and Roller Coaster Tycoon were the height of video gaming experiences for me. There is of course the fireworks and exploding cards when you win, which is still something that makes me smile with pride at having bested those pesky cards.
So I am grateful for Solitaire. I'm grateful it comes free on my laptop so I can whittle away the hours and stave off boredom on long trips on the Greyhound or while waiting between appointments and classes. I'm grateful it actually hones some skills like memory and pattern realization. And I'm grateful that such a simple game can mute the bells and whistles in my head in a few short minutes during stressful times.
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