Review: Games People Play
Rating: 4 out of 5
Date: 12 14, 2012
The title of this review refers to the R & B supergroup The Spinners, who sang a song about what people are prone to do within their respective relationships when either or both of them get bored.Bored. What an overused, insipid term. It's almost as grating as "fiscal cliff."Nowadays, it seems as if everyone, what with their omnipresent iPods, iPhones, BlackBerrys, etc. is relentlessly connected with all seven-plus billion inhabitants occupying the globe. One would be hard-pressed to presume that, with all our wonderful technology available at a moment's notice, there are individuals with the audacity to tune up their violin and proceed to play a long, mournful, whiny tune, replete with hearts and flowers.Sorry. Not buying it. People are bored because...well, they're boring people. I can't put it any other way.By nature, I am usually even-keeled and optimistic. I maintain a fairly realistic view of life insofar as I relate to the world around me. Finding enjoyable things to do, such as reading and Skyping, are easy. Additionally, having solid, positive conversation with family and friends adds to my daily life's tapestry.But a boring person's entire modus operandi screams out, "Look at me. Pay attention to me. I need to be entertained. It's all about me. I don't care about you or anyone else, really. And don't tax my brain too hard either. I need everyone to text me/call me/IM me/Tweet me. I hate being ignored. I have ADHD, too." Of course, such free-flowing sentences are an extreme opinion, but really, why would most reasonable, intelligent people bother to even feed these overblown, passive-aggressive egos?I really despise this languid, entitled, whiny attitude, and I especially get irked when these selfsame infantile morons don't do anything to solve their problems, either. I suspect I'm not alone in harboring these sentiments.To be fair, I have exhibited these tendencies every great once in a while. I realize I am not perfect; no one is. Yet you have to wonder about certain persons who whimper and whine their way from one drama to the next and never truly learn from their transgressions.At the risk of sounding preachy, perhaps boredom is actually a good thing. I submit that more of us would benefit from feeling uncomfortable---it would delay instant gratification and force those of us with "nuthin to dooooo" to seek constructive solutions. (Of course, it would be altogether too easy to just plop oneself in front of the boob tube and watch "Teen Mom" or "Glee.")Whatever happened to letting imagination run amok? Geez Louise, having to do so was one of the best things that ever happened to me. Of course, I can only speak for myself.It's almost too easy to single out television as a culprit. So I won't. I watched gobs of TV growing up and never lost my love of reading and writing. At my age, TV is---dare I say it?---borrrrrrrr-iiiiiing. It's all reality TV and gem shopping and infomercials anyway. (I want my MTV! I mean videos of actual songs or jams! And none of this Bam Margarine or Boo Boo Jelly Belly Trailer Princess stuff!)But boredom is finite. Provided we are willing to expand our educational repertoire a bit past our respective comfort zones, new experiences await---especially with our significant other. Stephen Williams's "Naughty Games: Just Enjoy and Be Sexy" serves as a springboard for initiating ourselves into a potentially exciting, sexy netherworld that is designed to relieve us of the ennui and tedium that occupies our brains from time to time.Sex is a powerful motivator. It fosters emotional and physical intimacy and lowers our defenses to the point where being vulnerable with another human being can make us confront our latent and/or submerged fears. Given the right words and the right moment, this can be incredibly uplifting and liberating for all parties involved.Williams asserts that "(i)t's time you try the naughty games to bring excitement and new life to the group." (intro.) Granted, some people are into more of a group experience, whereas others prefer being intimate one-on-one. It's nice that Williams doesn't discourage different peoples' peccadilloes. He uplifts the reader's confidence with words of encouragement, though he can be a bit rah-rah at times."Games" offers a nice distraction from the daily grind, and is even more enjoyable when sharing it with a partner. Many good suggestions for relieving the boredom and stress (the two are inter-related) are found throughout its pages.