I was at my dive bar a week ago and the bartender was doing a crossword puzzle behind the bar (that’s how you know it’s a real dive bar). There were three other patrons besides me and we were only sipping beers so he had plenty of time to work on it. He would occasionally read out a clue and ask for help. After a little while he set it down and I asked to see it. He had about half of it filled out, not too shabby. I picked up a pen, jotted in a few answers, and put it down. The lady sitting next to me grabbed it next. She put in a few words and passed it on to the guy next to her.
At this point it was a group crossword, a collaborative effort to fill it all out and complete it. Each of us had mini Eureka! moments and contributed in some way. We came close to perfection. We only had a few answers missing by the time I left. I can only hope that the bartender took it home and finished it. A crossword is like solitaire. You’re supposed to play it by yourself, but it becomes a group effort when you do it in public.
Critically Rated at 14/17
Written, Rated, and Reviewed by Brendan H. Young
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