Game Face

This is a picture of my dad in his late twenties or early thirties.  I think the men on each side of him are my uncles.  I’ve always remembered this as a happy picture of Dad, but as I studied it for this post, I see he is more serious than I remembered.  It’s one of his card game faces and often there was joy in those faces.

 

When I was teaching, I occasionally brought in a subject related trivia game, and immediately, many students pulled out a different personality—often both competitive and exuberant like my dad in this picture.  Dad loved card games, They brought out enthusiasm and occasionally a little bit of meanness.

 

I’m sure scholars have studied the psychology of competition—its good and bad points.  I’m not up for that right now.  I’m just enjoying memories of Dad and thinking about how this picture explains something vital and necessary about the completive spirit.  It’s obvious that Dad was competing against others.  But maybe, the others were also an aid and motivation for competing against himself.