Cravin Game Night in L.A.

Today I went over a friend's house for a Memorial day BBQ. It was actually my friends boyfriend who hosted the party. At first it was the usual, burgers, beer, chips, sitting in the sun, chatting with new friends, an overall real good time. Then as the sun went down it started getting chilly so we moved the party inside. Now mind you, my friend's friends are a bunch of techy minded filmmakers in the making so most of the conversation centered around new lenses, digital blah bitty blah, video games, and avatars. In other words, the convo was kind-a-boring.

When we moved into the living room it ended up that we all sat around the room, almost in a circle chiming in intermittently with awkward small talk while the guys tried to out wit each other. It was so strange! I ended up suggesting that we play a game. One guy curiously asked, "What kind of game?" To which I replied, "I don't know like catch phrase, or taboo or something." The group of people sitting in that room looked at me as if I recommended we eat each other's poop. Then the same guy asked me if I was serious. I said, "Yes I am serious, my family plays games all the time. They can be fun." I don't know if I became uncool when I suggested we play a game or when I admitted to having fun with my family, but the room literally became quiet and awkward. A group of people looked at me simultaneously with expressions that read, "Oh GAWD, please don't make us play some lame game of baldershash!!!" I couldn't help but respond in frustration by saying, "SERIOUSLY??? Are you all sooooooo cool that a good old fashioned group game is beneath you?" Gosh, sometimes I really can't stand L.A. The same guy was still expressing a strange sense of confusion that I would even suggest such a thing let alone be serious about it. Frankly I knew the host of the party likely did not have any of the games I was talking about, but at this point the topic was a matter of principal.

Then it got me thinking, has my generation forgotten how to have good ol' communal fun? What do we do for fun anymore? How wrapped up are we in cynicism and coolness that we can't be seen playing a board game? It's just so sad.

My family is about as crazy and dysfunctional as they come, but somehow, they taught me well how to have a smashing good time on a small budget and without a lot of fluff. Whether it was playing "pick up stix" with my grandma, spades with my uncle, to homemade pictionary with a crew of aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends, we always seemed to have a great time doing things that a lot of people outside of my family don't do anymore. What will these people do when they have kids???? Oy vei!

Those times shaped me in so many ways. They built my confidence, taught me how to be a world class smack talker, and helped me learn some social skills, which these techy nerds could use a few of. I remember going to the coffee shop back home with my best friend in high school and playing cards in the storefront seats for hours. Those were some really cool times in our friendship. Do people ever make time for that kind of stuff anymore? What is wrong with us?

This has all made me realize that for the first time in a long time, I miss home, the unanimous willingness to find fun and humor in less "cool" things, and the type of people who know how to "make a night" of a good game of spoons.

If you can relate to any of this, and you are in the L.A. area, hit me up. I have a deck of cards burning a hole in my pocket.