Tetris. Old. School. Tetris. Is there any other game that better prepared us for life’s challenges? Before there was Candy Crush Saga and Bubble Spinner, Tetris was there to teach advanced planning (crumbs! I’m out of room! Mayday! Mayday!! Mayday!!!), spatial awareness (I just need to fill this one gap … in the center … that’s totally blocked off … oops), and anger management skills (Noooooo, I almost had it that time). But, I don’t need to convince you how awesome this game was. I know you’ve hit spacebar at the wrong moment only to put that L-shape in the wrong spot, stealing that sweet victorious moment you would have had, clearing three rows at once …
Breathe in. Breathe out. No worries that your beautifully played game is now over. We’ll just start over. See? Best anger management training there is.
There’s nothing quite like artfully skootching a piece into an awkward gap in a lower row. It’s like when your boss sets a deadline for a project and then forgets about it until a week later, and you can present your now finished work as if you didn’t just finish it that morning (you artful dodger you).
Wait for it. Wait for it. Scootch! Scootch, now!!
Tetris taught us that it’s ok to fly by the seat of our pants and hope that it all works out. Maybe we’ll get the shape we need in the nick of time, and maybe it’ll be game over. Is it frustrating and unfair seeming when we don’t get the piece we need? Absolutely! It used to drive me crazy when adults told me, “life is unfair” and I still think its one of the hardest lessons we have to learn. Sometimes you just have to roll with what life the Tetris gods deal you, and if it doesn’t work out, it’s ok to start over.