A Stack of Board Games

I'm sitting on a couch waiting to facilitate a meeting and I'm looking at a shelf full of board games- monopoly, trivia pursuit, racking, cranium, scattergories, dominos- games that teach competition, winning at all costs, and even cheating. We play these games as kids, and we play other games as adults. Still competing to be the best, at all costs, and our cheating can become criminal activity. This is true for addicts. The next win is just around the corner, we believe it, we must believe it, otherwise our entire world would crumble. We must somehow believe we will be able to pay our bills, pay back our payday loans, feed our children. Unfortunately, at the casinos our money means nothing more than Monopoly money - I'll trade you my $100 dollar bill for the slim chance that I will get the right cards or one spin of a wheel. Insanity is defined as "doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results." Never thought my summer of '89 obsession of daily monopoly with my friends would somehow connect me years later to an addiction, crime, and prison.