Grey hair under a bedazzled baseball cap, Joan waits for another Mah Jongg (Mahj) player to arrive. The community location is the Big Pine Key Library, approximately 32 miles from Key West, Florida, and 1,400 miles from Westbury, Long Island, where I grew up.
Mitch and I spend time in the Florida Keys, where he aims to fish every single day—truly, every single day. My last blog described our JAWS-like encounter on his boat. While fishing isn’t my thing, I join Mitch, so I’m not completely a S%!t wife.
Each year, I try to find my own activity while he fishes. With that in mind, one day I drove about 10 minutes to Big Pine Key, where I found a plaza that included a library. I entered the small, vibrant location intending to donate one of my books (Raising Jess). As I was walking out the door, on a whim, I asked if there were Mah Jongg groups at this location. To my surprise, they said, “Yes, every Wednesday morning.”
The following Wednesday, I entered the room, expecting to see a few players; instead, I was greeted by about 15 women and numerous games. It felt like entering my Florida playground.
I was immediately welcomed into the group of mostly women who play at different locations almost every day. That’s intimidating. I love the game, but I’m still relatively new. (How long can I keep saying I’m new to the game? That excuse is getting old!)
A week later, I entered the library and saw Joan at a table. “C’mon,” she said, “I’ll teach you a really fun version of Mah Jongg.” New way? I am still trying to get comfortable with the old way! But I joined her to play a game called Royal Siamese Mah Jongg— Check out the link.
Trust me, you don’t want me to explain the rules.
Joan introduced me to a brain-freezing complication – doubling everything! So, we use two Mah Jongg sets, twice the number of tiles in our hands, and two winning hands rather than one. Joan was persuasive, and soon I was setting up my tile walls.
That Lady From Long Island
First, it was the F-bomb from Joan, next the familiar tone, that felt like home, as we set up our Mah Jongg tiles. I looked up and asked, “Joan, are you from New York?” Joan, age 84, said, “Yes, I am from Long Island.” “Me too!” I replied, Okay, lots of people are from Long Island.
Just when I thought that was a nice coincidence, the next part blew me away.
I asked Joan, “Where are you from on Long Island?” Well, that was a Mahj in geography! Turns out we are both from the same area. Next, I told her I went to W. Tresper Clarke High School. She told me she went to Clarke, too.
That was F!@#$ing unbelievable. Stop the game — “You went to Clarke?” It turns out that Joan was part of our high school’s first graduating class in 1959!
Joan and I bonded over NY tone, four-letter words, and Mah Jongg. So, while Mitch is catching big sharks, I am becoming a Mah Jongg Shark in the Florida Keys!
Discover more from Vickie Rubin: Special Educator, Advocate, & Mom
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