We are a competitive family. We battle it out watching game shows and fight for top dog status with Super Bowl squares and March Madness brackets. It’s not aggressive, but we do engage in some good-natured trash talking — which, let’s be honest, is the real reason why we compete.
In early 2022, when the world was enthralled with Wordle, we turned it into a month-long family competition we dubbed Wordle Wars (read about it here). The cash payout was nominal ($100), but the real prize was bragging rights.
Now, two years later, we started another month-long game we’re calling Connections Contest (obviously, I like alliteration). The name’s not as catchy, but it’s serving the same purpose: It’s keeping us connected, challenging our brains, and giving us plenty of opportunity to (lovingly) trash talk each other. Plus, there’s more money on the line and, as I said in my Wordle Wars post, $100 buys a decent amount of cheap beer for a high school senior or college junior (not that I condone underage drinking — I’m just speculating on how they’ll spend their winnings).
If I’m being honest, I find Connections more challenging than Wordle. Some days, I see all four connections in a matter of minutes. Other days, I see one or two and that’s it. I’ve slipped in the family rankings, but I’m not giving up. My Connections game may not be strong, but my trash talking game is … And isn’t that what really matters here?
Tell me, how do you connect with your family (especially your nearly grown sons)?
— LJDT
Like my sarcasm and blunt observations on midlife? Why not subscribe so you can get your dose of brutal honesty and sassy wit delivered straight to your inbox? You know you want to. Do it now! It’s super easy and takes just a few seconds, I promise. Just scroll to the bottom of the home page to fill in your name and email address — and don’t forget to click Submit! Then we’ll officially be blog besties — just don’t tell my IRL bestie!
