Today it dawned on me that I’ve struggled with the same difficulty since the 3rd grade–and not only in arithmetic. In 1953 or so, Mrs. Britten wrote on my (probably perfect) report card, “Barbara can be careless.” Evidently, that comment was burned into my brain, since I still remember it after most of a lifetime. But why did it pop into my mind today? Because of WORDLE.
To tell the truth, I resisted doing the WORDLE puzzle for a long time. Friends and relatives seem to approach it in a competitive spirit, which didn’t appeal to me. A sister uses her online WORDLE report every morning as a way of notifying her adult son that she is alive and well. Maybe I resisted because I didn’t want to take the risk. Who needs another annoying failure, no matter how small?
However, at some time–in a moment of boredom or exasperation with the newspaper headlines–I turned to WORDLE. Success was mixed the first few times, but soon the addictive challenge kicked in. Now, 133 games later, with a 98% success rate (and one streak of 60 games), I’m on a roll. My WORDLE strategy has improved along the way. I try to pay close attention to avoid dumb mistakes. I look forward to the intense focus of spending time with the puzzle. It’s a routine in my day, like exercise and vitamins and feeding the cat.
Come to find out, WORDLE and other word games I play create a breathing space for me. Even better, win or lose, each of them offers an affirming quip at the finish. “You’re a Genius! Again!” or “Perfect!” or “Better luck next time!” I feel satisfied the same way I do when my video exercise instructor says, at the end of the reps, “Good job!” and “That was tough!” Somehow, these rote affirmations acknowledge my effort and reward my skill, such as it is, time after time.
Yes! I say. I did it! At least I tried.
But what about that 3rd-grade problem? Carelessness.
Because of WORDLE, I’ve arrived at the notion that “carelessness” is a word that actually points to “impatience.” Being in a hurry. Wanting to arrive at the end too soon. Not paying attention to the steps along the way. Letting assumptions prevail over information. Skipping over the hard part. I seem to be indelibly afflicted with IMPATIENCE. Carelessness is a performance fault. The Impatience behind it might be a character flaw.
I don’t pretend perfection in any element of character. However, I do try for the best, in performance as well as in character. The best, I know, is LOVE. The best is to live in love and with love in what theologian Paul Tillich calls The Eternal Now. The best is captured in the words of St. Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians*: Love is patient; love is kind and envies no one…There is nothing love cannot face; there is no limit to its faith, its hope, and its endurance.
As a new year unfolds, I’ll keep trying for patience–and love. Let WORDLE be my daily prayer.
*New English Bible
3 Responses
Dear Sister – there may be a genetic component to “impatience” as you describe it. I, too, am often anxious to get to the end of a task, and that likely manifests itself in a careless mistake. I have to remind myself to read all the directions on the page or double/triple check the numbers I have transposed. Just remember to get the commas and decimals in the right place when using Zelle or Venmo! Keep Wordle going and embrace Spelling Bee. Also, regard impatience as a forward-thinking advantage. Yeah, that works!
Dear sister who actually made it to the National Spelling Bee—yes! Spelling Bee R Us! 🐝 Also Connections and Quartiles. That’s enough. Connections helps with another aspect of impatience: Jumping to conclusions.😕
Thanks, Barbara:
As a kid I almost always had the right letters in the words I was spelling, though not always in the right order. Hmmm.