Passing go

When I was a kid I really did not like Monopoly.?

It felt like the odds were stacked against whoever didn't get boardwalk.?

Things like “free parking” were not the reality of most people’s situations.?

There’s no free money.?

So, I’m reflecting on this concept of “passing go” today…

And, to be totally honest, I never got it.?

Just collecting $200 for going around the circle again.?

It feels like getting a $25 check from your grandma every year on your birthday.?

Maybe I was just being a hater.

Because today, as I was running mile repeats on my block…

I thought about passing go.?

Collecting $200.

And continuing.?

It dawned on me that the reason I never liked Monopoly when I was a kid is because I loved winning.?

I loved (and sort of still do) being first, being the best.?

And Monopoly doesn’t have winners.?

They have players.?

And the only goal is to keep playing.?

So, passing go was a symbol.

Of your willingness to keep going.?

Whether you were sitting on Boardwalk or you were scraping by with Pacific Ave…

It was all the same.?

You kept playing.?

The circumstances are different, but the goal is the same.?

Aly “keep playing” Caffrey