18. A Morning with Mr. Monopoly

I wake up. It’s Sunday.
No pings.

Actually, my kids woke me up.
They were laughing so loudly.
No pings.

I move one leg. Then the other.
Then head to the bathroom.
I brush my teeth.

My wife prepares breakfast.
We gather at the table.
We eat. We chat.
I do the dishes.
No pings.

We spend the morning playing monopoly.
Then Uno cards.

We talk about the summer.
Then we have lunch.
No pings.
Not a single ping.

I win.

They spend millions to get my attention.
I am no match for that kind of power.

Yet sometimes I win.
With willpower alone.

It’s a tough fight.
And I often lose.

I lose because I entered the game without a plan.
They got me.
I just hope they don’t get my kids.
Not yet, anyway.

I want my kids to enter that world with a plan.
No one is a match for that kind of power.

Still, today we defeated the mighty pings.
We also fought during Monopoly.
But that’s something else.