Bingo Night
Walking into Bingo Night, I already had preconceived notions of how much fun I would actually have; which erected from pop culture associating hearing-impaired retirees with utter and vicious enjoyment of the game. I reluctantly went with a group of my friends. We were forced to position ourselves toward the back because, as always, we arrived late. I quickly realized this was a disadvantage because of the distance one would have to race compared to others on the path of victory to receive their prize if they indeed got five in a row. Nevertheless, I received my three boards and the game went on.
On the stage the orator called out the letter-number combinations. Having three boards proved to be an exasperating task as I vigilantly searched each in hope of finding the announced coordinates. Tension and misguided hostility filled the atmosphere almost instantly. This surprised me because before I even knew it I was immersed in the competitive spirit. I never realized how much anxiety a person could experience playing Bingo, hoping they have the lucky board, praying for others’ misfortune. It was intense.
Throughout the night we played about fifteen games, each having three-five winners who won raffle tickets that could potential get them a prize. We didn’t just play traditionally (marking five places in a row either vertically, horizontally or diagonally), but instead switched it up by spelling out letters, or getting each of the four corners or the entire board. People at my table won here and there and I was happy for them but it would have definitely felt better if I won. There was actually a time when I thought I won and in my excitement I ran all the way up to the stage just to find out spatial positioning matters (the seven was upside-down).
Overall, the experience was a positive one, although many times I wanted to rip my hair out or trip people on their way to the stage. It was nice having a community of people who had the same goal and experienced the same roller-coaster of emotions. I learned that Bingo has the ability to bring out a different side of me, one I’m still figuring out whether I like. I am going to encourage as many people as I can to go to the next Bingo Night because it truly is a fun pastime that brings people together.