A Most Interesting Game

            So, a few years back I was in a restaurant with part of my wife’s extended family. At this point in time we hadn’t been dating very long, so I didn’t really know who anyone was. Across from me sat my wife’s uncle, a man with a bushy, black, grey-streaked beard and a brightly coloured beanie (yellow and red, if I remember correctly).

            Partway through the evening, after losing interest in the conversation of the rest of the table, this man (who I hadn’t spoken to at all, since I’m kinda the shy quiet type) gathered together two salt and two pepper shakers and put them in the center of the table. He then gave me this serious, considering look, and very deliberately moved one of the salt shakers on an angle to rest beside a pepper shaker.

            Not entirely certain what was going on, or what the intended rules for this game were, I decided to play along. After a moment of consideration, I moved a pepper shaker to make the pattern of all the shakers relatively symmetrical.

            My wife’s uncle made an impressed face, nodding, as if this was a very cunning move. Then he moved a salt shaker, and I followed up with a pepper shaker. This went on and on, for probably half an hour or more. We never said a word to each other. We just kept moving shakers, playing by whatever rules were implied by the other player’s actions and aiming for imaginary goals that we weren’t entirely certain of.

            The game came to an end when someone else at the table finally asked us what we were doing. Playing a game, we replied. What were the rules? Oh, we’re just making them up as we go along.

            The magic of the silent game was broken, there seemed no point in going on with it or restarting now that it had been defined. But to this day, this was the most unique – and I’d even say profound – way I’ve ever been introduced to someone. Strange as the experience was, it was incredible – and the memory of it will stay with me forever.

Click here to find the charity anthology containing a couple of my short stories.

Also, make sure you check out my wife's blog and her life coaching website.


If there's any subject you'd like to see me ramble on about, feel free to leave a comment asking me to do so.

Introduction

            As this is my first blog, I thought I’d take a moment to introduce myself and what you can expect to find here. My name is Jonathan Rutledge and I am a writer (among other things) under the pen name J.C. Rutledge. I'm a somewhat insane individual with a passion for fantasy, an uneventful life and a touch of O.C.D.

            What you’ll find here, well, even I'm not entirely sure of that yet! I’ll probably end up rambling on about any number of subjects relating to my scribbling, my chainmaille business (www.ringcrafts.com) and various random subjects that pop into my head. On the occasion that I finish reading a book, I’ll probably give you a review. Once in a while I might ask my lovely wife Colleen (yes, that’s where the C. in the J.C. Rutledge comes from, you caught me) to jot something down for you. On occasion I may give you something funny to read. On rare occasion, you might find it funny too.

            My goal is to post a new blog every Monday. Only time will tell how successful I’ll be; it may end up being cut down to only once or twice a month – after all, I have books I'm supposed to be writing, who needs a blog?

            Well, that should be all that’s needed for an introduction; I don’t suppose there will be many people reading this, so I hope the briefness hasn't left anyone disappointed. See you all next week!

J.C. Rutledge

Click here to find the charity anthology containing a couple of my short stories.