Guilty Pleasures

All of us think we have the great American novel in us and who knows? We each might. I just knew that when I retired I’d be the one, but alas, it takes discipline. While the beautiful paragraphs swirl around in my head I play spider solitaire or some other mindless computer game. I have a bit of a problem in that area. I love those games, especially the ones that involve words. I’ve really been done in now because I can play Scrabble and a game called Qwerty. Look at the top row of your keyboard and there it is, “QWERTY.” I can play these two games against human opponents who obviously have the same addiction. The way I justify this little addiction is by listening to audio books. In my mind, if I’m listening to a novel while I click away at my games I’m not wasting time. Why I even care is another problem. It’s my time. I’m not neglecting anyone. I don’t forget to shower or wash the dishes. I buy the groceries and cook supper. So, why does this innocent activity make me feel guilty? Because I’m programmed to accomplish something on a daily basis and winning another badge in Tumble Bees doesn’t quite hit the mark. Neither does beating a woman in Montana at Scrabble but I get a kick out of it. Is the fact that I enjoy these games justification enough? Maybe yes, maybe no. What if I’m depriving the country of another great story, a novel of epic proportions? That remains to be seen