You may find this hard to believe, but once upon a time you didn’t need a computer or smart phone to have fun. Humans are social creatures, and we’ve always come up with amusing ways to spend time in one another’s company—and no, this doesn’t include sex. Parlor games like checkers, dominoes, and card playing (except Solitaire for obvious reasons), brings friends and families closer together. There’s nothing to plug in, no bells or whistles to break, and rules are mostly simple and straightforward. Enter the Chinese Checkers Dragon!
According to the fine print along one edge, this cutie pie was manufactured by Gotham Pressed Steel Corporation in 1938 and was “Made in the United States of America” (The Bronx to be exact). The other side of the board is for checkers so you can have double the fun. I learned how to play Chinese Checkers on this board, as did Grandma and Tia Adele. Mamita taught me the best way to start the game and how to avoid the pitfalls of leaving your marbles stranded. Two people can have a good time, but the more the merrier. I especially loved when enough of us played that we’d form a tremendous arroz con mango with everyone’s marbles jammed in the middle.
I’ll be honest—every time I’m in a social setting and everyone is looking down and futzing with their smart phones instead engaging one another, I feel sad and more than a little sorry for the future of our species. These digital forms of entertainment lack the personal connection that makes us human. Just remember that when the last Play Station and iPhone lie moldering in some post-apocalyptic junkyard, Chinese Checkers will still rock.
the things i have chosen 