Stories Collected While Living in France

French la Vie

B-I-N-G-O

                                       

Some people are lucky in bingo, others are not. Some people have a lucky number, and others are numbered. Sometimes you win and sometimes you lose, who likes to lose? Though the saying goes: "it doesn’t matter if you win or lose, but how you play the game."

                              

The game of life seems to be like bingo. You receive a card, there are rules, you can cheat, someone calls out numbers and you can either put your token on it or not, if you want to win they say you should put your token on the number that is called. There are different ways to win. The person who wins big seems very happy. The person who doesn’t win smiles and says it is just a game. Someone yells out BINGO! Others clap.

                                 

In the mysterious game of life how do you play? Do you follow the steps- Are you playing to hear BINGO- Do you know what number you have- Does it matter- Is it just a game of chance?

I never liked Bingo, playing "Hearts" is my favorite game.

Photo: Turn of the century French Bingo cards with wooden tokens. The old games we play?

Sunday Scribblings

                                    

Comments

33 responses to “B-I-N-G-O”

  1. GoGo

    I smile at this. I am a person who loves to play games – hearts, spades, sequence. I like to say I like to play games, so as to avoid them in my personal life…sometimes your a part of game like Bingo without even knowing it.

    Reply
  2. lLee

    …it is just a game…

    Reply
  3. Shannon

    I like to play games to see if I win…
    But if I don’t, then it’s on to the next game…
    I’ll get lucky one of these days.

    Reply
  4. Jeanne

    We don’t play many games in our home except when the grand angels are over.
    As in life I am not a lover of many games and in life really detest people that play games and I try and live my life to get me straight to Heaven darling one.
    Like every other human I have made many mistakes along the way but try and correct them each and every day.
    BINGO it was a song I used to sing to my dog.
    We would spell the name and yell out and Bingo was his namo
    The name of the dog.
    Sweet little reminders and thank you for each posting!
    They are all very special to me
    Love Jeanne ^j^

    Reply
  5. snowsparkle

    how do i play? i fold the bingo card into a paper plane and fly! bingo was not my game either… i thought it was noisy and tedious, but my heart would race if i came close to having a “bingo.” maybe that’s what the game is about… coming to terms with chance, loss and victory.

    Reply
  6. Annie

    Thought provoking Corey. In fact, painfully thought provoking. I’ve been a “well, it’s just a game” sort of person and now that I’m trying to change that, I find it very hard.

    Reply
  7. susan@artstream

    i always think it is how you play the game… but i do not like bingo, but I love love love these cards!
    hearts is my favorite card game too! let’s play!

    Reply
  8. soulful1 aka sage

    lovely images, antiquey! bingo makes me think of my mother, she loved the game!
    thanks for conjuring up memories in me…

    Reply
  9. carolg@PB

    I sometimes think credit card numbers and phone numbers have a lucky pattern…I lived on 13th street and worked on the 13th floor. In Paris I stayed on #13, rue Vavin. The owner asked if I’d mind? I couldn’t have been happier
    Always food for thought from you Corey 🙂

    Reply
  10. jennifer

    I like “hearts” too 🙂

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  11. mikaelah

    what gorgeous cards AND the wooden markers! You find some nice things Corey! I live for the game!

    Reply
  12. Paris Parfait

    Lovely post, Corey. You’ve reminded me that I like playing cards and I haven’t done so in years! I also am quite the Backgammon player – winning so often my husband doesn’t like to play. But he beats me, the writer, at Scrabble! 🙂

    Reply
  13. Laini

    Great metaphor — life does hand out bingo cards, doesn’t it? I admit I want to “win” in my own way — achieve my goals and be recognized and all that. I don’t cheat — can you cheat at Bingo? The other thing is, though life might hand out cards, it is possible to trade in those cards for better ones, by hard work and yes, more luck!

    Reply
  14. mary ann

    i tend to see life as a game…one’s gotta take chances to “win”, that is, make one’s dreams come true…
    happy sunday corey!
    🙂 mary ann

    Reply
  15. lauren

    Corey’s coming!!! Corey’s coming!!! And in two weekends Ulla and I will be fighting with you over treasures at the flea market!!! Whoo hoo!! Hold on tight to your airplane seat, grin and bear it, ’cause baby, you’re on your way!!!!!!

    Reply
  16. meredith

    My game of preference is Scrabble, of course! I like letters and how to make words with a magic mix of letters. But numbers? I don’t like to play with them. No lucky number here, just go with the flow.

    Reply
  17. Kit

    I love to play cards too. Canasta, hearts, whist. We were playing whist, when I went into labour with our first child, it got hard to remember the cards after a while!
    Playing cards releases the competitive streak, that is firmly suppressed in life. You can play to win, be ruthless, in a way that would leave you bereft and friendless in real life.
    Though often in cards it is diplomatic to play to lose, when playing with young children for instance. And they do say that unlucky in cards means lucky in love.

    Reply
  18. amber

    I just love how you always tie things in, Corey! Always make me think and smile.
    🙂

    Reply
  19. January

    Great post. I do think life is a game of chance, but I’m all about tilting the odds in my favor. I play to win!

    Reply
  20. Tammy

    It’s definitely how you play the game! I love your antique bingo set 🙂

    Reply
  21. Britt-Arnhild

    Caorey, it depends on what BINGO is. Is it to win luck and wealth for myself, or is it to make the world a better place? I try to play my cards right for the latter….
    By the way, in our family we love, love, love games. I collect them, and we play alot, especially when we are at the cabin. Rummy has been a favorite for a long time now.

    Reply
  22. madeleine

    Great analogy. I think we’re all in it initially to hear ‘BINGO’ but forget along the way and start to enjoy the journey.
    good to discover your blog and thankyou for your comment today

    Reply
  23. Kristen Robinson

    I love this analogy Corey. Throughout our whole lives we search for that one moment when everything aligns and we can say Bingo I got it, I did it, goal accomplished!

    Reply
  24. mikaelah

    oh … corey! I did not mean I LIVE for the game of bingo!!! Just for the game of it all… the life game is what I live for…meanwhile the bingo boards are still very attractive!

    Reply
  25. mary jane

    games are fun however to lose in the game called life…well that’s not a place I like to go…wonderful writing….

    Reply
  26. Cat

    I enjoyed board games as a child, and will sometimes still get into a scrabble game with one of my sons. I don’t look at life so much as a game but more as a riddle.
    Smiles to you!

    Reply
  27. himavant

    nice analogy corey!
    i agree.. it’s the journey that counts, not the destination.
    thank you for visiting ubudblu..

    Reply
  28. marybeth

    Hi ((Corey))
    the old Bingo pieces are so fun!!
    It is definately the participation-the fun-the interaction of the game. Winning is just extra icing on the cake!
    Pictures are posted from my most unexpected presence at the QUILT WALK in Panguitch Utah, where a renowned 82 year old QUILTING PIONEER, Blanch Young- gave an hour talk and WALK through her LIFE OF QUILTING-just amazing. Do come and see -add any comments as I have zero quilting knowledge and or skills. Share them with your QUILTING FRIENDS!
    Namaste,
    MB in JT

    Reply
  29. Kim

    Oh, I just love to play bingo! And, I’m not an old lady either 🙂 Its such fun at county fairs…you sit on the wooden bench & use dried pieces of corn as markers…just the nicest summer way to pass the time.

    Reply
  30. DebR

    Very clever take on the Sunday Scribblings theme! I loved the ending.

    Reply
  31. Anne

    I love this post…really makes you think.
    I’m not a gambler, so the real game of bingo, or any other gambling games…well they don’t appeal to me much.
    In the big bingo game of Life, I’ve won plenty…4 beautiful, inspiring children, a husband who loves me dearly, a family who has been there for me every time life got ugly.
    As for the big personal BINGO in my life right now…I think that would translate into “Yay, you are now a published artist!” I’m just waiting for the last couple numbers. =)

    Reply
  32. pam

    oh corey! even your bingo is gorgeous in France!

    Reply
  33. cruststation

    The most frightening thing in the game of life is to have lived a wasted one. To fully be alive and participate, to grasp the chances and opportunities with both hands, that’s my desire.

    Reply

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