This summer I’ve been learning something completely new: Mahjong. Once a week I join a neighborhood group around a kitchen table. I’m the only man, surrounded by a wonderful group of women who have welcomed me with patience, laughter, and more than a little good-natured teasing.
Mahjong has reminded me that every beginner looks awkward, every expert once held the wrong tiles, missed the obvious play, and wondered what everyone else seemed to understand. The experience is teaching me to enjoy learning with the mind of a beginner (it’s complicated!), to ask questions without embarrassment, and to appreciate the generosity of people who already know the way.
As this week begins, consider enjoying being a beginner at something. I have gained far more than knowledge. I found new friendships. For me it’s really not about mastering the game, though that is what we are all engaged in. The game is a vehicle to discover the people who invited me to the table.
“Life is partly what we make it, and partly what it is made by the friends we choose.”
– Tennessee Williams
