It began in the morning several months ago. One of my closest friends sent me a square and within the square were 6 rows and 5 tiny boxes to make up a 5-letter word. The little tiny squares had different colors. This friend is quite the math whiz and master of puzzles so I shrugged my shoulders and did not think too much more about. I like a good Sudoku and Word Search, but my mental capacity and abilities at that point and even now could only handle so much.
She texted: “Have you heard of ‘Wordle’?”
She figured I would love it because I was a Word Lover. In fact, I was so much of a Word lover that I was always somehow making up new words and asking: “Is that a word?”
The response from many: “It is now that you made it a word.”
So, here I went to try this Wordle. I was unimpressed. I was confused and bored. It takes a lot to catch and keep my attention.
I continued to hear from many and see plastered tiny colored squares within the big square on Facebook. What was the whole craze about? I didn’t get it.
Then, one completely random morning, I pulled up Wordle and read the instructions. I know, I know…I should get better at reading instructions. 6 rows for 6 tries. 5 letters for 5 letter word. Grayed out means no go letter, Green means Go in right position, and Yellow was right letter but wrong position. I began to think. I began to play. I was hooked.
The first time I played, I sent my triumphant results with all the words I managed to think of rather than the letter-less squares and my friends had to instruct me not to do this because it would ruin the process and results to those who had not played yet. Strategies and methods were discussed and determined that the first letter word had to have the most vowels to come to an easier conclusion of what the end result word was. Discussions commenced and delved deep of:
"Do you use the letters that come up and mix and match until you come to conclusion or do you use the unused letters to then come to your conclusion?" Thinking caps were firmly placed on about all the different words there are out there.
It was easy, but difficult. It was simple, but challenging. It was brilliant.
I quickly fell into a morning routine with a couple friends. Every morning while having my breakfast and most definitely my tea or revving up for work or in between work, I played Wordle. Yes, it was fun, but it was also because my tiny pool of Wordle-Loving Friends and I were waiting to hear from each other. They expected my Wordle. I expected their Wordle. If we didn’t hear from each other, something just wasn’t quite right with that person. Maybe the morning was off. Maybe the day was already turning too chaotic. Maybe, Maybe, Maybe…but Definitely and Undoubtedly, there was always a Wordle result coming from me and coming from them. We were somehow checking in and being held accountable for each other. We were becoming apart of each other’s daily routine and life. Wordle became an unexpected daily routine and necessary social connection and tool to jumpstart my day of making me think and making me feel a little bit accountable and thought of by someone/anyone else. Once results were exchanged, discussions and chit chats of how certain words came about alongside of “Good morning!” and “Hey, how are you doing?” Someone cared. I cared. And, how brilliant was Wordle for all of this?
This little game “Wordle” that I started with thinking nothing of has become more than something everyday. One square with tiny squares unexpectedly became a necessary social and mentally thoughtful tool. What is apart of your morning routine with others where you are checking in on each other? When do we hold each other accountable and felt thought of? Do you play Wordle?
Keep smilin’ until we meet again,
Mary :-)
Comments