Staying on Track

Last week, from the comfort of my office, I watched two train cars get put back on the railroad track. I’m not sure if they “jumped the track” or if they were derailed or if there is even a difference. To get the job done it took four caterpillar cranes, one bulldozer and several men who looked like they could hold their own in any physical disagreement.

I like trains; I like counting them and playing with them. I marvel at the power of trains as they roll past my office several times a day. When I was growing up my brother had an electric train set that we had fun playing with. My brother-in-law has an impressive Lionel set that takes up most of his basement, and I am in awe of the train that runs through a village my friend Bob has in his house.

There is a popular board game that involves trains called “Ticket to Ride,” which my wife, Rhonda, and I enjoy playing together often. In this game routes are selected by the draw of cards. The routes between the destinations are completed when enough matching colored cards are picked from the pile. Some routes require certain colors and some are more forgiving and allow any color train on the track.

The colored train cars are placed on the routes between destinations, which claims your position on the board. Points are given for completed routes and destinations. The more one achieves, the more points they are given. The game is for two to five players, but like anything else the dynamic changes and the sense of competition between players is increased when more people are added to the game.

Perhaps I am reaching too hard to make a point, but when I play this game I notice the parallels between the game and how life is played out. The game begins with the cards you are dealt (family, personality and lot in life), you start at one place, add some trains (friends and experiences) and try and get to another destination (adulthood). On the way, you try to connect other destinations (education, job, marriage, etc.), and all the while you try and enjoy the journey. Certain paths in life require a mix of education, talent, skill or job experience, and of course we all need friends to help us when life derails us.

Just as I believe the way someone conducts their business affairs is a window to their value system and not, according to them, “. . . just business and nothing personal,” I also believe the way a person plays a game is a reflection on how they conduct themselves in other areas of life. Sharing routes and cooperating with each other may not always win the game, but it certainly makes the trip better for all.

Rhonda and I have fun playing the game in the evening and on Sunday afternoons. Even though we play a different style, (I like a long, continuous route, she strives to garner more destinations) we respect each other’s spot on the board, will yield our way, take turns, and be good sports whether we win or lose. Because once the game is over we still have to share a sleeper car and stay on track together.