In our midst there are hidden sanctuaries that most of us do not know exist. Three years ago, I stumbled upon such a haven while I was looking for something to do between my two jobs on Wednesday mornings. I happened to be in Beacon Hill's Jefferson Community Center to pick up a program brochure when I noticed a group of senior citizens playing bridge.
For no apparent reason, I stuck up a conversation with them. Later, while reflecting on our talk, it dawned on me that the time frame and location made playing bridge an ideal fit. Fortuitously, what started as a desire to fill in a two-hour time block evolved into a pleasurable and rewarding experience.
Bridge is a challenging four-person English card game that can be traced back to the 16th century. Players pair off in teams of two and use nonverbal communication via a deck of cards to score points. This low-cost, no-frills card game requires knowledge of bridge principles, intense concentration and an expansive memory. Furthermore, the endless permutation of dealt hands makes the game exceedingly difficult to master. In spite of my snail paced progress, the opportunity to participate with the Jefferson Community Center bridge players that draws me back week after week, month after month and year after year.
The core group consists of four vibrant and interesting senior citizens and myself. The resident patriarch was born in Seattle, and, while in his 20s, was placed in Idaho's Minidoka Japanese internment camp. While in the camp, the U.S. Army recruited him to assist the allies in World War II.
Afterwards, he received an engineering degree from the University of Washington, then worked 30 years as a Boeing engineer. This diminutive octogenarian's humble disposition belies his commanding presence. The other players routinely ask this gardener and grandfather of one for bridge advice, which he always graciously obliges.
His counterpart is the octogenarian matriarch. She too was born in Seattle and placed in the Minidoka internment camp, where she gave birth to her only child. Ironically, she retired after working 20 years for the federal government. Her husband died while fighting with the Allies as part of the Japanese-American 442 battalion. The aging process has not caught up with this hearty woman who swims, gardens, serves her church and volunteers for her neighborhood elementary school.
The most talkative and outgoing player was also born in Seattle. She is a retired bank employee and the proud grandmother of four. This healthy Chinese septuagenarian attends an aerobics exercise class before playing bridge. In addition to helping her family, she is an active church member and a volunteer for a senior center. She also provides us with candy and informs us of free casino junkets and inexpensive deals around town.
The fourth player is a sexagenarian Caucasian woman born in Illinois and married to a military Chaplin with whom she spent many years stationed on bases throughout Asia. When her husband became stricken with diabetes she single-handedly cared for him for 14 years. This doting grandmother of two is an organist for her church. She unselfishly shares her bridge knowledge, and while her approach can be rather brusque, her intentions are simply to make us better players.
As for myself, I am a 45-year-old Caucasian, father of two, Metro bus-driver. In addition, I work part-time with the Park Department, Seattle Athletic Club and Mount Baker Community Club. As interesting and entertaining as bridge is for me, it is secondary to the joy of playing at the Jefferson Community Center with these wonderfully accepting and warm people.
Bridge has brought back fond memories of life as a carefree youngster playing basketball and board games in my neighborhood park. As in my youth, when I'm absorbed in a recreational activity my mind is free of the day's stresses and tensions. Here, unlike most game settings, there is an absence of competition and an emphasis on cooperation. In addition to the chit-chat and good-natured bantering there is the joyous clamor from the community center preschoolers and the occasional bridge spectator, all of which enhances the idyllic atmosphere.
The time spent at the Jefferson Community Center has given me the opportunity to learn and share from a special group of seniors. Even though we come from different generations and cultures, through bridge we have become friends. We call to check on each other, share stories about our families, comment on current events, and provide medical advice for the endless ailments that inflict us. The defining moment for me came when the bridge ladies unexpectedly showed up to my wife's funeral. As with my wife's passing, the game of life will some day play our bridge group's final trump card. I can't stop the inevitable but I can make it to the table until the last hand is dealt.
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