Sunday, October 09, 2005

SuDoKu Puzzles and Life

I have been reading about the "new craze" - SuDoKu puzzles. I have tried two or three of the very easy ones to see what the attraction is. So far I have not become addicted (by most accounts the pastime is highly addictive.) They are, however, very involving -- to a person like me who really likes word and number puzzles and enjoys thinking games.

As an educator, though, I find it fascinating that adults sometimes enjoy activities that students think of as work. One of these "addictive" puzzles, given by a teacher as an assignment, would be regarded by the students as just hard work and would be completed grudgingly, if at all. Yet according to numerous media reports, adults by the hundreds of thousands are neglecting life's responsibilities in order to spend time, money and energy to solve SuDoKus - - just for enjoyment and relaxation.

Isn't this to some degree a metaphor for life? Youth want what they perceive as the freedom of adulthood, while adults often seek out leisure activities that are reminiscent of our youth. We want a lifestyle we do not have, and we believe that the grass on the other side of the fence is greener than our own pasture.

1 comment:

Carol said...

Until I read your post I had never heard of these puzzles. Then after reading this, I've heard two other people talking about them. I've got to try one for myself.