Bunco, Anyone?

Almost two years ago, I was persuaded to join a bunco group. I knew only one woman there that night and didn’t even know what bunco was - thought it was a card game. But it’s actually a dice game, an old lady’s dice game, according to my son. (Our ages range from the mid-30s to early 60s, which is probably typical.) It’s mindless fun, if you’ve got the right people in the group. You laugh a lot, some of that due to the martinis and margaritas! And a couple of our players are Martha Stewart types, so it’s worth going for the food alone when they host. (When it’s my turn, it’s “Bunco by Costco”.)

Our little group started with 12 or 13 women, but we usually have only six to eight. We had six last night. And on my 30-minute drive home, I remembered how reluctant I was to join the group initially. I’m not much of a “joiner”. I don’t go to meetings of my volunteer organizations, and I don’t join clubs or anything else that requires regular attendance. But this is different.

It occurs to me that I look forward to bunco, because these women have enriched my life. We’ve bonded, even if for only three or four hours a month. We have such a good time that we’ve actually stopped playing the game, because it gets in the way of the conversations! Who would’ve guessed that this would become so meaningful for me? It’s what often happens when I venture outside my comfort zone.

Bunco, Anyone?