Strange Company

Maybe I should call them three stooges. We go to Harpo's place to play cards ad games and it's such a strange experience every time. Everyone has to cater to Sarducci because if he doesn't win he makes all sorts of excuses, complains, blames others for playing wrong, and often just stops playing in the middle of a game. Tinman's way of dealing with it is to play a video game on his phone while playing the game with us which disrupts the game at times. Tonight Sarducci and ... were doing the same thing. I finally said let's stop pretending we want to play with each other and lets go sit comfortably in the living room and play our phones and talk. Sarducci tried to challenge me by by waiting until it was his turn to put his cards down and look for music to play on his phone and I put my cards down said enough, but the others realized the distractions were getting out of hand and called him on it and from then on we actually played as if we respected each other and wanted to play with each other. The cell phone internet generation is amazing to see as they lose social skills and simple social courtesies. These guys are in their 40s and 50s, no less.

So I did not play to win and everyone noticed except Sarducci, but nobody said anything because he still almost walked out and complained and if I did play to win it would have been worse and he'd have probably walked out. Poor guy is so depressed with such a fragile ego and lack of self-awareness.. it's more group therapy than social play. I've known them for a decade, at least, and it is challenging to find new friends with intelligence, awareness, social skills, and a secure ego as the years pass. People stay locked into their social groups behind closed doors and except for the bar scene and dating sites, friends are sparse.

So I continue to hang out with the dysfunction groups I know. Tinman understands and stays close to them for his reasons similar to mine. They are good people, just so fragile and self-absorbed. So I made sure I came in second to Sarducci in a few games by throwing the last hand or round or two and only called him out for changing rules to suit himself a few times. I'm not even sure that's good therapy, but everybody was happy and keeps coming back. We are a strange company lol :)

Narf :)