Puzzles
Like millions of other people, I love puzzles. Give me a cryptogram, and I grab a sharp pencil (haven’t the courage to use a pen); give me a Sudoku, and I go mute; give me a crossword puzzle, and the sky could fall and I wouldn’t hear it. Yet, I am not alone; people of all walks of life enjoy puzzles ofall kinds. Have you ever wondered why? May I made a few suggestions.?
I have read that puzzles help tired minds to stay in shape. That’s an interesting statement, but I don’t think people work puzzles just to keep their minds in shape. I suggest working puzzles fascinates people and excites their curiosity. I have often wondered if working a jigsaw puzzle becomes a matter of being in control. The worker has the upper hand as to making the decision concerning which piece goes where. The compiled puzzle indicates the puzzle worker has made the correct choices and decisions. That can be a gratifying experience for anyone.
Some people say jigsaw puzzles are like stories. The creator of the puzzle presents the play with a story giving small specific pieces. The worker takes the time to put the puzzle together one piece at a time to see the entire picture. Thus the story closes with a satisfying ending; the picture is complete.
The same can almost be said for crossword puzzles. However, instead of being a story, a crossword puzzle is a mystery. We, intrigued to solve the puzzle, see the empty squares and want to know the answers. (Life can be puzzling. We face so many “no perfect solution” problems. What should I cook for supper tonight? What’s the best way to fulfill my responsibility today? What shall I wear?) When we work a crossword puzzle, we see a problem solved and the answer is perfectly clear and certain; the mystery is solved Crossword puzzles also help enlarge a person’s vocabulary, an added benefit for attempting to work them.
Sudoku had become the latest craze in puzzle solving. It involves arranging numbers (1 – 9) in such a way that any number appears only once in each row or column. Sudoku calls for different skills than jigsaw puzzles or crosswords. It is a good mental exercise involving complete concentration, common sense, reasoning, and logic. People who work Sudoku puzzles say they are almost addictive.
I understand there is growing evidence that people who spend time working puzzles, playing board games, and engaging in other mentally stimulating activates can reduce the risk of memory loss and dementia as they age. That’s good news for many of us getting along in years.
No doubt you have noticed that the Herald Bulletin prints four puzzles, including a crossword and a Sudoku in every weekday they publish, plus a more challenging crossword in the Sunday edition. The answers, too, are always printed on another page so you can have the satisfaction of knowing how good you are puzzle-solving when you check the answers.
I invite you to share with me the joy of working on puzzles.