Are you game?

I was running through Times Square to a Broadway show.

All of a sudden, I looked over and there was a friend that I hadn’t seen in probably five years. Also running to a show.

We were blown away.

What were the odds of running into each other in this packed, raucous, neon place?

She’s from California.  I’m from Massachusetts.

She texted later and said, let’s have breakfast.   We have to talk.

We did.

We talked about our lives and as we did that, I was reminded of something I always knew about her.

She was what you call game.  She was always game.

She told stories of Adventures. Curiosities. Questions. Ideas.

Advancing the bouncing ball of life.

I’m a big fan of people that are game.

“Being game” is defined as “eager or willing to do something new, unusual or challenging”.

Which makes people who are game a lot more fun to be around.

They’re exciting.

My husband and I tried to categorize friends and acquaintances that were game, versus not game.

It’s actually pretty easy to figure out.  You can tell in their attitudes.

Game people are generally positive.  The glass is half full.  Going forward holds a lot of oomph for them.

Game people are generally adventurous.  The unknown is where they thrive.

Game people say “yes”.  Everything is a possibility.

Optimism, according to most texts on the subject, is an indicator of longer life.

So, since being game is all about optimism, it might just be the key to longevity.

And I like that.

You just have to wrap your head around it.

I’ve always thought of myself as being game.  Or trying to be.

Saying yes.  No hesitancy. Forward ho.

And not being just the “tag along” for someone else’s game state.

Doing my own research.  Creating my own motivation. Finding my own excitement.

I realize I can’t let the lethargy of age get in the way of all this.  Or the ennui.

I have to stay focused.  Be on my toes.  Game.

And, when I’m one hundred and run into an old friend running to a show through Times Square,  I want her to greet me and think, wow, she’s still got it.   She’s still game.

But I may have to keep working on that.

Particularly the running.