The Best Pastime for the Elderly

The other day, I found myself in one of the parks of our beloved Tbilisi. Parks here, as you might have noticed, are a little destitute of vegetation and they look anything except a spot for recreation. I never go to our parks they are boring, ugly and no fun to be wasting my time on spending my leisure there, saying nothing about the litter that usually accompanies me all the way from entrance to exit.  

Frankly, I had no reason to be around in the place I have never appreciated enough to hang out in, but as long as I was already there to stroll briefly, I thought I would investigate into the situation in a detailed fashion.  

I first gave a callous cursory look at everything that was within the scope of my sight I still see far quite well with naked eye. I need my reading glasses though. From the distance, it all seemed very trivial and colorless, and nothing could stir my imagination and curiosity.  

Finally, I saw a group of men, some of them sitting and some standing under a big tree. There was not a single woman among them. I wonder what their wives were doing at that moment. I made up my mind without much vacillation and approached the weird bunch of the gentleman who, as I had understood, were vigorously involved in playing something at an old dilapidated and wobbling table, which impressed me as the most wretched piece of furniture I have ever see in my lifetime.

I cannot even describe what my peers were using as chairs. But strangely enough for me, there was not even a vestige of discomfort either on their faces or in their body-language. They were absolutely infatuated with what they were doing.  

Having looked at them closely, I immediately comprehended that the game they were at was the domino. I have never liked the casino shticks, especially under the open skies, but this bizarre session of gamblers was a disaster for me to recognize as the best pastime for the men of my age who were ready to spend the entire day either playing the dull game or kibitzing with patience and making more or less reserved or emotional commentaries.  

I have seen worse in my life, but this was depressing because I had imagined those gentlemen in better roles to benefit themselves and their families. I am sure most of them have wives, children and grandkids that probably need their reasonable and useful participation in their lives.  

I stayed in the park to do a thorough insight into one particular chunk of life of the retired elderly who spent the entire day there, practically doing nothing except killing part of their remaining time, smashing the makeshift gambling table with their dominos.  

The only encouraging thing I noticed later in the day was that at a certain moment, domino was substituted by drafts, then chess and finally with backgammon. At least that! The variety made the entire pastime a little more delightful.  

As to me, I feel pain to recognize that it is the best pastime for the retired gentlemen of my generation. I wish for them to be a little better off in planning their time. Would this be possible at all? I dont know!