Monopoly

We all played Monopoly. A good old fashioned, fun for all the family style game. So why did it end in tears? Monopoly is one of those games that is a metaphor for life, it brings out the worst in people, and divides up the classes of people. It makes the winning person feel above the others, as if somehow they are so much better at life. It is a horrible game to lose because there is nowhere to go - you can't get a big lottery windfall that will help you regain momentum, the end is so obvious, beginning with the mortgages and the pleas of assistance, and mercy, so humiliating. I have found that people get harder when they are winning rather than more humble or sharing. There is a horrible gap and the winner feels compelled to ensure that the losers are out of the game, are left with nowhere to go. In 2009 a real life game of Monopoly is about to start, some will go from strength to strength and others will have to mortgage and re-mortgage, that's if anyone is authorised to underwrite them anyway. Losing in Monopoly is irritating enough, humiliating and caused tears and recriminations, old hurts came back to the surface. So imagine how real life Monopoly is going to feel for some, when their real homes and businesses are on the line, are we all going to pull together to help each other through or are we going to walk past the losers on the street, turning away. The future of our society depends on it.