With the help of my niece Lindsay, and my sister Dorothy, who got me started, I have been working on a 750-piece puzzle for the past few weeks. Not an easy task, since the full picture was very small, and I had to use my handy-dandy gigantic magnifying glass to see each section. Little by little, I finally finished the puzzle last night. . .and I must say, I am very proud of myself.
Working with small pieces, and many of them, is a skill. Some people can look at a piece and see the shape with great ease, while others, like me, have a difficult time locating the exact spot where the piece fits into the grand scheme of things. People that can figure out puzzles have a special talent, and usually score well on IQ tests. Being able to see shapes and where they fit, in a short period of time, is one way to evaluate how bright a person is. I guess it's like thinking OUTSIDE of the box.
I definitely DON'T have this kind of skill, but I enjoy taking on a challenge, and eventually completing a task.
At the end of the school year some of my students worked on puzzles in my classroom, and loved working together to complete them in record-breaking time. Walking through the Barnes and Noble a few weeks ago, I spotted a puzzle of New York that I couldn't resist. After bringing it home, I even had difficulties finding the outer edge of the puzzle, having to go through the pieces numerous times. Frustration set in rapidly, and I even sent a text message to one of my graduates begging for help.
When Lindsay was visiting me, she saw the puzzle, and for the next 4 hours, too fixated to even stop for dinner, worked on the center section. Slowly, Dorothy and I moved to her side, and by 10 pm that evening we were on a roll. By the time they left, I was sure that I could continue on until they returned a few days later.
Needless to say, they didn't return, and the puzzle started call my name. Each day I completed another section, and with each piece in place, I became more confident. Last night, after the final piece was placed in it's spot, I lifted my arms in a sign of victory, and felt like I had accomplished a task that I wasn't sure I could, or would ever finish.
I've been told that working on puzzles keeps the mind fresh, and young. So with that thought, I will continue to find other puzzles, and work on my daily Sodoku, with the hope that I won't lose my mind one day.
I'm off to e-Bay to check out what's available for my next challenge!
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