Illustration by Drew Shannon
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I am an addict. There I said it.
It slowly snuck up on me. I didn’t realize it at the time but I was headed for ruin. I would innocently be reading the paper when I would be overcome. Likewise, I might pick up a book to read but would immediately put it down and grab a crossword. Yes, I am obsessed with crossword puzzles
Initially I discriminated. We subscribe to the New Yorker magazine and it has one in each issue. It is indicated on the top whether is it user friendly or themed, from sort of difficult to very difficult. I could do the easy ones and only got a couple on the hard ones. I would keep each issue to check to see how I did and then cheat. I looked up answers from the current week to fill in the previous one. (Well, not totally cheating. I would look up an answer and then try to get a bunch on my own.)
My corner store has become a neighbourhood social hub
This addiction came on gradually, like most I suspect. I would do the weekly New Yorker puzzle and that seemed to satisfy me.
Then I found the crosswords in the Walrus magazine. So two or three a week were attempted. Now I read The Globe and Mail and the Toronto Star daily to do their crosswords before I read the news (there are three in total). I can spend the morning “reading” the newspaper, which I actually do get around to doing. Eventually.
I then bought books of crosswords. I enjoyed the Canada Crosswords books, which had 23 editions with up to 90 crosswords in each book. This gave me a slight edge as I was pretty familiar with the Canadian references. I made my way through several of the books. It reached a point where I would shop for another two books when I hit number 45 in the current issue.
This obsession started to create havoc with our household patterns. As the afternoon wore on. For example, I might notice it was 5:30 p.m., which is time to start thinking about preparing dinner. Just one more puz, I thought. I had time for it. Well dinner was on the table later and later until I finally put down my book and pen at 5:30 p.m. sharp. (I will admit this disciple slides every once in a while and we dine at the fashionable hour of 7:30 p.m. or 8 p.m.)
It became apparent that I was truly obsessed when I would go back to the couch and my puz book immediately from getting up from the table. I hadn’t seen a Netflix movie in months.
When did kids’ sports become so serious?
Crossword puzzling is not the most social of addictions. You seldom speak about your victories with others. And it is not the kind of activity that you share clues and answers. My social life was taking a toll. While I didn’t turn down invitations, I certainly didn’t initiate any either.
How did I manage to get a grip on this situation? First of all, I acknowledged that I had a problem. Actually, no, that is not true. Really, the series of Canadian crossword books went out of print and that really shook me. The only thing left for me was the New York Times crossword books and I don’t find them very satisfying. (That can be read as: They are too damn hard.)
I have now reconnected with gardening. We live on a third of an acre in a small town with a large perennial garden. It was time to start doing my part in its upkeep. Once I got going, some of my old joy of working with the soil returned. It cut down on the gardener’s bills, too. A returned pleasure is watching the season go by with different blooms each week. This also improved our social life as I invited folks to come and see the finery.
I still do my morning puzzle routine but pull away from it before any pattern sets in for the day. I will admit it takes discipline. It’s not like I was competing for some obscure prize and recognition. It is hard to describe what got me hooked. I don’t think there is a self-help group for this condition. I would go if I could find one.
I am now almost completely reformed. I have heard that doing crossword puzzles is good for keeping the mind sharp. Like a daily walk, it is instrumental in keeping one mentally alert. I am all for that. At this rate, I could ward off Alzheimer’s for at least 10 years.
Penny Lipsett lives in Elora, Ont.