On Trivial Matters

I don't know how long I'll actually keep at this blogging thing, but for now, these are my thoughts of the evening. I was playing Trivial Pursuit tonight with my family, and got to thinking (as I'm sure others have done before, Miss K.) about board games...what is their purpose? I believe it was R' Tatz who said (on a video for 9 Av two years ago when I was in LA as a counselor in Kol Neshama-the video was shown at Aish LA) that playing games is simply a way to waste time-as if it's not bad enough that we have such a short life, we then want to "kill time," basically a different way of saying "killing ourselves." We only have a certain amount of time here, and we'd like to spend it as fast as possible? How can this be?? And more...it's sometimes really hard to be constantly involved in learning 24/7. So what do we do? As humans (rather than angels) we are constantly rising and falling-never standing still. So if we make every moment, even our "relaxing" ones, for tachlis and growth, then it is still lishem shamayim and NOT a waste of time.
So my point? I'd like to think that tonight's game was a way of spending time with my family and trying to improve on my Kibud Av Va'Em and my Vi'ahavta Li'reacha Kamocha (loving your fellow like yourself). It's also interesting that it's becuase of Vi'ahavta Li'reacha Kamocha that I am NOT allowed to play it-except for the Disney version-with certain other people..;) )