A swing of legacy (and what’s with all the dogs?)

tassosstevens
Jul 30, 2017 · 3 min read

If there were a movie about the making of this game, the pivotal scene would open with me ringing Bernie’s doorbell. I wait for a long time, no response. The chimes hanging from the tree start playing in the breeze, and then the door opens, and he is there, two sticks in hand, ready to go.

He complains about the two sticks, they make him more balanced but feel silly, like doing fast walking but only at a very slow speed. I say that in Finland, everyone does this, training for cross-country skiing. He grins.

And we walk, slowly, and talk, Bernie wanting to jump straight into the game, me wanting to check in, how are you?

We’re interrupted by a dog barking, and its owner apologising, but Bernie captivated by the dog and introduces us to the owner, we chat about England and ferris wheels, before moving on.

And now we’re talking about last words, and how many you want — 5? 278? How long do you want to have left, and would you want to know? And how much pain and nausea would you trade for another day?

But we arrive at the park and we’re interrupted by the sight of the swings, and children playing. These are special swings, expression swings, for two people big and small to swing together, joy amplified. They are a gift from Bernie to the park, in turn a gift from the swing company and many donors to Bernie.

We sit on a bench, beneath oak trees, overlooking the swings. And talk freely about pretty much everything, but always with an eye on all the ways everyone on the swings is finding to play for themselves. Without knowing that the old dude sitting on the bench has made this gift.

And interrupted by another dog, a puppy belonging to the kids, running up to say hello. Maybe she knows, maybe she has come to say thanks.

Bernie and I skyped again this morning, from Montreal to Indianapolis, three weeks on from this pivotal scene. We’ve been back and forth in emails a lot the last few days over the game, but it feels more and more like we are there.

Another reveal on the game. We want the players in their present moment of playing together around a table to feel connected to our present moment in this pivotal scene of the game’s making: the conversation between us, on a bench beneath oak trees, watching kids play beautifully freely on a set of swings, without knowing that the swings are themselves a legacy.

And brilliantly, today our skype is interrupted by a dog running into Bernie’s room in Indianapolis.

uh oh, are you my new dog? hi sweetie! uh oh, I have to go now…

More on the swings -> http://www.indystar.com/story/news/2017/06/30/irvingtons-games-guru-leaves-legacy-others-play/435952001/

Less than 48 hours now left on the kickstarter campaign, our original goal doubled! So we also hope to make an online edition in the future for a wider reach. But we aim for this limited-edition which the kickstarter is supporting to be as beautifully designed as ready to play as is possible (with a little surprise still in store). So please spread the word or back yourself to receive this, before time runs out.

Our kickstarter -> www.bit.ly/agameoflegacy

Written by

Ex-psychologist, wright, wrangler. Director of @agencyofconey.

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