A man may plant a tree for a number of reasons. Perhaps he likes trees. Perhaps he wants shelter. Or perhaps he knows that someday he may need the firewood. ~Runemarks
Some dear friends recently introduced me to the board game, Catan. It requires quite a lot of strategy, and I would have already given up if I didn’t enjoy their company so much. But here we are. Let me share a little about this complicated game. Yes, I know it’s suitable for 10-year-olds, and my assessment is subjective. Here we go.
A roll of the dice determines which player initiates location selections, and each has two shots at that before real play begins. These decisions are critical because you learn as you go that location, location, location is not mindless gibberish. Deciding where you are going to plant your stake in the ground will ultimately determine your access to resources, which directly impacts point accumulation and the potential to win. Or not. But back to the process.
Once the players carve out their respective areas to “develop,” they take turns rolling the dice for a chance to earn various resources. The outcome of the dice roll is entirely capricious, and the resources earned are based entirely on the player’s selected location. If I roll a 5 and my plot isn’t adjacent to one of the two plots labeled with a 5, I get nothing. To complicate the situation further, each plot produces just one of the following: brick, lumber, ore, or sheep or wheat.
To expand, you have to build roads and add Settlements, but you can’t hang onto too many cards before making a decision. And a purchase. There’s a snake waiting to strike if you delay. When a 7 is rolled, no matter who rolls it, if you have more than 7 cards, you have to give up 1/2 of them. So, if you were planning to use your assets (collected resources from plot production), to build a road or swap out a Settlement for a City or buy a development card, you can’t dilly-dally or your ability to execute those plans will dissipate like the vapor rising from your tea kettle.
Is there a point in all this? Yes, I’m getting to it. And, no, I’m not going to provide all the rules, but there’s a video at the bottom that will. Read on.
Catan, as entertaining as it is, is still just a game. And yet. It mirrors life. The real thing. Especially from past centuries when the cultural norms were much closer to food and fuel sources than we are now. I strongly suspect that a large contingent of the U.S. population has little knowledge of the origin of any food item in the local supermarket. As to how the food gets from the hoof (or soil) to the shelves or refrigerator case – forget it. 200 years ago, many people didn’t eat if they didn’t have a garden and livestock. Or at least a hunting rifle. When searching for new territory to put down roots, they would have been on the lookout for the abundance (or lack of abundance) of what they knew they’d need. That is, plenty of fertile soil and a forest full of hardwoods as a starting point.
Here’s the thing. People moving into the frontier did not have the luxury of calling United or North American Van Lines if the neighborhood didn’t work out. And I use the term neighborhood loosely. The closest structure may have been more than a mile away. For this reason, I surmise that those looking for a better life actually paid attention to where they were going. Their choices would have had life-altering, or even life-ending, impacts on them and on their offspring for decades.
I probably shouldn’t speak for others, but I will. I’m confident my experience mirrors that of hundreds of thousands of other individuals, so here goes. I believe the majority of current-century people who move from one area to another make an inadequate effort to vet the potential for a fruitful, happy life in their new location. Do they check out the availability of favorite stores? Activities? Is the weather compatible with their ability to cope with extreme temperatures–either direction mercurially? Is the average age closer to their ages or to their parents? Is any of that a concern to them?
There’s a saying, “bloom where you’re planted.” While it isn’t my favorite saying, I can appreciate its intent. What I have no patience with is the inclination to expect that going with the flow will lead you to the best result. Hear me when I say I have no doubt that God will use you wherever you are, given your cooperation. But, for the love of all that’s rational, engage yourself in your own life. If you are playing the role of flotsam, you’ll end up adrift. Without direction. That doesn’t sound like the way to win at anything. Not to me.
You?
