When I was a child, even quite a small child I would often entertain myself with playing patience, the card game. I wasn’t a lonely child, I was close to my sister and we played together, but I was also good at entertaining myself and doing things on my own. I had books to read and to write in, and drawing books and pencils and paints and crayons, I had a second-hand Meccano set, but I liked to play cards, so I played patience. I played sevens – where you lay one card up and six more face down, then the row would be of six cards, then five etc. I also played clock patience, and if I got bored with that then I would play a game as if with someone else and deal the imaginary person a hand… I didn’t play snap, that was too impossible, but I played the one which started with the seven of diamonds… I can’t remember what happened next.
The imaginary person would also play Scrabble with me, and I would be really careful not to cheat, trying my hardest to take no notice of what tiles I knew the ‘other’ player had. I would also play Monopoly with myself, but I wasn’t as keen on other board games such as Ludo or Snakes and Ladders.
These days it’s so easy to download games or play on-line, there is no need to have an imaginary Scrabble playing friend because you can find someone or a virtual someone easily. Is something lost by this, or is it the same as what I did as a child? I was in a room on my own with a set of cards, or a board game, is that different from being on my own with a computer?
Lois Elsden 
Did your imaginary friend have a name? Mine did, she was called Ermintrude.
LikeLike
I don’t think so… although it may have been my teddy Mr Wilson (nothing to do with the politician!) Ermintrude… do you know what she looked like?
LikeLike
No, I don’t know what she looked like, but I know she lived on Fulham Street just a couple of streets away. When my mother had gad enough of her or wanted me to do something she used to say that it was time for Ermintrude to go home.
LikeLike
What a great mum!
LikeLike
I used to play scrabble by myself too, hopping from chair to chair, not trying to better either side’s tiles or score. Was challenging and quite fun! Thank you kindly for sharing, and for bringing up a good memory for me. 🙂
LikeLike
I’m glad we shared the same fun – yes, I would move from chair to chair too!
LikeLike
Patience on a phone or tablet is not so different from cards.
Handy if you’re out with a long wait somewhere.
LikeLike
I think it must help to keep your brain active… also if I’m stuck on one of my stories, I have a few games to clear my mind!
LikeLike