A Lesson in Losing

See this boy?

This cute 10 year old with the infectious grin?

Don't let this face fool you. 

He's ruthless. Absolutely ruthless!

Let me explain:  This fellow is a Game-Player. Loves games! Especially board games. And more specifically, board games involving strategy.

As in, use-your-brain kind of games. You know, the type of games his Mother really stinks at. 

This point was driven home the other day when this sweet calculating 10 year old and I (his dear mother) sat down for a friendly game of Othello. Well, I was busy randomly thoughtfully placing my pieces in their little green spaces while my opponent speedily dropped his pieces here and there, willy-nilly-like.

Or so I thought. 

Before long, I begin hearing things like:  "Are you sure you want to put it there, Mom?" or "Did you see this spot over here?" 

To which Mother replies, "Now, why would I want to place my piece there?"

And he says to me, "Oh, it's just that, if you put it there, then I'll do this, and then you'll do that, and then I'll turn over all these and then you'll lose."

And then he flashed that grin.

 Really? He could see ahead 2, 3, 4 moves ahead? Sheesh! I was doing good just trying to find more than 1 or 2 discs to flip each turn.  

We finish the game. Yeah, Boy wins, Mom loses, Big Time! OK. Yes! HE CLEANED MY CLOCK! (there. I said it.) 

Then this mother smiles broadly and does the gracious thing. She gives the winner's hand a congratulatory shake, happy to be a good sport, showing the now rather large audience that had gathered how to be a good loser. 

And as she walks away, if one were to be listening ever so carefully, they might here words being muttered under her breath. Words something like, "That's the last time I'm ever playing with him, I tell you what!"