BRIDGE HIGHS AND WOES

(c) ARC 3/5/19 @ 4:21 a.m.
BRIDGE HIGHS AND WOES

Yesterday was my first `Pro-Am’ experience.
I was in pain…wrenched my ribs…low threshold.
I was glad that there was `excitement in the air’.
I had positive energy to lean on.
Pro assigned was familiar: highly skilled/super nice. We did fairly well.
Then afternoon was familiar supervised play, but this time with my son.
He is extremely skilled.
In less than a year, he has surpassed my three years endeavor.
I am what others call `lucky’ but I prefer the word blessed.

It was a miracle blessing that I survived 42 stab wounds, not luck.
Until my college years, I did not have the vocabulary to describe how I knew I thought differently than others.
There was tremendous relief to learn about `right brain’ and `left brain’ learners:
educational institutions focus on the `left’.

I attended a symposium of educators in San Diego over five decades ago.
One notable asked for a show of hands indicating logic thinkers.
Over half responded.
Then, the rest told: you are the creators/dreamers.
That was I; I was awed that there were so many others too!

Education was a contradiction.
I would `breeze’ through some classes; labor through math/science.

Now in my twilight years, what started as a `social’ endeavor has epiphanied into another miracle blessing.

Centimeter by centimeter, due to the phenomenal patience of Mensch teachers,
I am LEARNING HOW TO tether my brain and learn the game of Bridge.

My brain has always been like a `free flowing balloon’.
I most often would get to where `others’ were, but not in a straight line.
I could never describe the route.

Memorization accomplished ONLY by reiteration: bit by bit by bit.

My son’s biological father and I worked two years in Alaska for the Army.
He was a Soldier; I was Civil Service Secretary.
We learned Pinochle. He memorized. I am blessed. We were `good’.
The same blessings when I played with a black soldier, Lucas, from Alabama.
We were unstoppable.
I am not competitive by nature.
My children were frustrated when I loudly yelled and clapped for opponents.
To me, all deserve praise and encouragement.
I too, of course, like and enjoy the same.

My Veteran son became my part time caretaker.
I asked him to learn the game.
Within months, he had surpassed my three-year effort.
He learns best experientially versus my repetitive book learning.

I knew that our partnership would be positive.
Sure enough, yesterday, we ranked first with high percentage 76.4%.
We reviewed a hand and I told him why I had responded in a certain way.
He trusted me because he knew I `studied’ the books.
Although, I thought I had answered him correctly something was `nagging’.
Opener, Overcaller, Responder, Advancer are names for various positions.
If my partner opens, I am the Responder.
If my partner’s left-hand opponent bids, this opponent is the overcaller.
If my partner is North, and Opponent is West, then I am South.
If you overcall, you need five cards in the suit you are saying.
If you respond to your partner, you need four.
I had fixed `in my mind’ that if an opponent overcalled by partner,
then, I too would need `five’ to overcall the opponent and respond to my partner.
That is how I answered my son’s question to why I did what I did.

I AM NOW, HOWEVER, QUESTIONING MY AWARENESS.
There is another learning point that I am questioning.
At the two level, my acquired learning is required point count 10 or over.
Yet, the example on Student Manual Beginning Bridge using 2 over 1 – Lesson 11…Chapter 17 – page 112 is
East Opens 1 Heart with five Hearts (12 points)
South (Opponent) Overcalls 1 Spade with five Spades (10 points)
West (Responder/East’s Partner) OVERCALLS at the TWO LEVEL with five diamonds – 2D
North (Responder/South Opponent Overcaller)
with four spades and 8 points.
East – original opener – now RESPONDS to partner West with FOUR DIAMONDS.

OY VEY!!!
I have learned that if I am confused, those like me FOLLOW SUIT.

I recently was treated to see APOLLO 11.
It was majestic. Left Brain Thinkers thought/planned/built.
I dreamt. Please, notable teacher, help me with above.

Thank you!!! Prayers constant you/yours. God Bless/Shalom