Pinball

I’ve always loved playing pinball. Hands-down, it’s my favourite arcade game and holds me longer than any video game could. There’s a physicality to playing pinball which I feel engages me in the gameplay more naturally than any other game. I also appreciate the complexity of the design which often have a Rube Goldberg quality to them. What I didn’t realize until very recently with the help of a friend was how pinball serves as a metaphor for some of the people we encounter in life. 

Pinball is exciting to play. With the sounds, lights and physical activity, it’s easy to be drawn into the play. Our attention is focused on the shiny pinball itself. We have no other choice but to follow, guide & nudge where possible, and react to how the pinball moves. Things can be unpredictable at times and frustrating when we can’t seem to direct the pinball in the path we want. But no matter what, we always have to follow the pinball. 

Most games have some selection of holes or saucers, where the pinball can come to rest for a short period of time. Often, these holes & saucers provide valuable points and can often set up the next series of moves the pinball will make. However, never mistake the pause or rest that the hole & saucer provides for stability. No matter what, the game will continue and the pinball will soon careen off onto a different path. 

The people who come into our lives as pinballs are exciting. They have an energy & momentum which can be dizzying but so attractive. Those of us who are more like the holes & saucers naturally welcome people with this energy. They are naturally drawn to us. But, we must always remember that the pinball will leave. That’s the nature of the pinball and one of the reasons we love them. However, we can never expect them to change who they are. If anything, we can acknowledge our own worth & value in that we do attract so many people. We just need to remind ourselves that when people like this eventually leave, it never diminishes our own worth, value and place in the world.