SPADES; & Life itself...

Reflection is a gift. In my interactions with young people I think it is more of a responsibility to reflect on the messages and practices we are using because how the information is received is a precious process. We never truly know what’ll resonate and we also know that perspective and hindsight is 20/20 so our beliefs on things can change and shift and everything else in between.

I’ve hung my hat on a phrase ‘Life is Chess; not Checkers’. I believe that to be true. But I also spiraled into a rabbit hole of thoughts around the subject. Whether you think life is like a box of chocolates; or a game of basketball; or if art imitates it. I’ll suggest another LIFE IS MOST LIKE …A GAME OF SPADES.

If you’re unfamiliar with the game of spades…that’s unfortunate. if you’re black and unfamiliar with the game of spades…damn shame on you. Not taking the responsibility to fully cover the basics, but allow me to attempt to make some connecting parallels to arguably the greatest form of Human Engagement: SPADES & Life itself.

The hand that you’ve been dealt is the hand that you’ve been dealt. It may not feel like it in that moment; but in the context of the game, It’s temporary. We’ve seen many folks that have been dealt a hand full of face cards, enough spades to cut books out the gate you name it; and that same winning hand turned into turmoil. We’ve also seen the opposite; a shitty batch of life’s lemons can become the most desirable glass of lemonade on the planet. Low trumps turning books, outsmarting your opponent with a convincing 'poker face’. There are many ‘games within the game’; same with life.

Also similar to life, we all have a unique starting point, (hand we are dealt) and once we begin to mature within the game of Spades; it is less of a lottery of hoping to get a ‘good hand’ or comparing what you have to what you ‘re imagining the other players have not based on what you have but what your perception of the cards you have; but more of ‘how do I master the art of manipulating your current hand whatever it may be to achieve the things you wish to achieve.

Spades. Like life is a game of strategy.

Some folks want to be responsible for retrieving the all the books. Good for that person. Some folks are expert ‘trap’ players who can bait the opposition into misplaying their hand and breaking strategy. Some folks are ‘set-up’ players who can put their teammate in perfect position to turn books. Some folks are puppet masters who like to mastermind who wins what books at what time. Respect the strategy; even more so if it be different from your own.

What may be harder to realize in ‘real life’ is your situation can change just as quickly as your hand changes in a game of Spades. Knowing that, it’s important to ground yourself in morals that are translatable across all the different hands of cards that you may be dealt.