A SCRABBLE JOURNEY
By: Karen Moss Hale
Tags: Change, Journey, Scrabble, Choices, Support

Every morning I get up early to edit and customize Gary Moss’s blog https://just4thespellofit.com/blog-september-2020-to-december-2020/ that he writes daily for his website. We developed a partnership for JFTSOI about 18 months ago. It’s not often when the senior sibling turns to his babysitter to assist him and promoting his passion and dream to reach others with an opportunity for continued learning and enjoyment.

When my brother Gary began his journey into the SCRABBLE WORLD our parents were perplexed as to his desire to consume this sport as they initially saw it almost as a cult. I remember numerous conversations my mom and dad had with me hoping that I would “knock” some sense into my big bro and convince him to seek a ‘real job’. However, I knew that was not my responsibility. I was witnessing a new birth of my brother; he was finding his purpose and meeting individuals along the way that often were more accepting of him than his family and friends. Gary made choices that reflected his needs and took one step in front of another despite the many challenges he faced.

Making a choice can turn your world upside down, and yet the downside is really the upside. Choices can threaten your current friends and family, especially those who are stagnant in their own lives and want to keep you from following the fork in the road, creating your own path! That path may lead away from them and their fear of losing you is real to them. However, like my brother, in order to find his inner peace, he made the choices that led him to https://just4thespellofit.com/.

As a side note, our mom and pops grew to respect Gary’s path despite not understanding it. This is not to say they didn’t try to persuade him to take all his passion down another road that would be more mainstream, they unconditionally accepted that their son was a SCRABBLE MAVEN.

In July of 2019 as my brother plan a cross-country trip to celebrate his 77th birthday he launched “77 Sunset Trip,” his plan was to visit friends and family as he drove from California to NY and back. On this journey, he would visit spots of interest including the Vegas Strip, a Dinosaur Museum, and numerous small towns where the townies proved to be the real folks that are Americana. He played numerous games of scrabble and he blogged and podcasted his adventures. I encouraged him to write every day and share his voice weekly to inspire others. You are never too old; it is never too late to achieve the dreams in our minds.

Six months into our partnership COVID hit and it could have changed our trajectory, but we did not let it STOP US. As I said at the beginning of this blog, I have continued to get up early in the morning to assure Gary and his followers that the blog is posted. I add a little bit of humor to it with quotes and pictures, we all need some encouragement to smile, snicker or laugh out loud. Although SCRABBLE TALK is the focus on the podcasts the messages are universal. When JFTSOI discusses making lists to learn or remember words, that same philosophy can be used in numerous scenarios, it does not have to imply only to the game of Scrabble. Personally, I have learned a lot from my big brother and I am honored to be his associate on the social media side.

Changes are to be expected. The only situation that may be stagnant is death, and yet some of us believe that there is an energy that remains with us when a loved one dies, we do not allow them to disappear into a black hole. Often that is the spark that pushes us forward.

My momma once told me there would come a time when my brothers (Gary and Joel) would appreciate me. I may have to make them hot chocolate and cookies, but we would all mature someday, and I would be more than the baby sister. Well, Dorothy Friedman Moss was right! Last week when Gary took a mental time out, I gave him just enough space, and then I started pushing and tugging on him to continue the walk! Join us.

SCRABBLE IS A TRADEMARK