The New York Times iPad version includes a daily mini crossword puzzle. Nearly everyday, when I catch up on the news, I has been trying to solve the puzzle for the day.
I usually spend no more than five minutes on the puzzle, but doing the puzzles are beginning to grow on me. I am not the best at those puzzles. I saw a lady of the airplane with a book of puzzles. She worked on her crosswords the whole way from Detroit to Kansas City. I thought that looked like a good way to pass the time. Now, I have image of me doing a puzzle or two to pass the time during my next trip.
I bought a book to work on large crossword puzzles, but it takes a lot of work for me to complete them. Sadly, the book is called “Lots of Easy Crosswords” with the tagline “everyone can solve.” Obviously, that “everyone” should include me, but I am not sure. I am learning to grow my vocabulary and think like a crossword puzzle maker, but if it were entirely easy…they would not be puzzles. Occasionally, while doing the mini puzzles, I learn a new word and gain a new insight into something. This is my justification for taking five minutes here and there for a puzzle. I also believe shifting my thoughts toward a puzzle can shake some dust out of my brain so that I can I think better for a moment.
I am not sure that I need quantifiable evidence to take a moment to solve a puzzle. I hear they are good for me. But, I really think that they are fun. Can’t that be enough?