Psychiatrist, the game

The scene was Atlanta in October of 1999. I was sitting cross-legged on the stained comforter of a bed in a cramped discount motel. It was sometime after 2 a.m., and I was surrounded by a half-dozen young journalists. And we were playing Psychiatrist. If you've never played, I'm not going to teach you the rules. I mean, that's half the fun -- finding a victim and teaching as you go. I can't remember laughing so hard in recent years.

My favorite games are those in which you learn something about the other players in the process. Loaded Questions, Imaginiff and Zobmondo all rock my socks. (Incidentally, when I was looking for a link to those games, I noticed Spin The Bottle in a box. Perhaps I am mistaken, but I thought all that was required for Spin The Bottle was, well, a bottle!)

I think playing Psychiatrist made us all a little braver. So on the way back to Memphis from Atlanta -- somewhere between Marcus spitting raps and Matt playing his guitar -- somebody suggested we play Truth or Truth. You know, truth or dare without the dares. There were two rules: (1.) You had to answer the question truthfully; and (2.) You couldn't skip any questions.

They started off tame. "Where was your first kiss?" "What is your most sacred possession?" Emboldened, they started getting wilder. "How many partners have you had? Which is your least favorite?"

But after an hour or so, the questions kind of drifted deeper. The people we cared the most about. Where we'd like to be in 10 years. Our best childhood memory. Our worst fears.

Honestly, five years later, I don't remember much about that car ride -- other than we got so involved that we almost forgot to refuel the rental van. But I do remember the people on that trip. I remember that when we got back in Memphis, I was kind of sad that it was all over.

I'd highly recommend dragging your friends into this game. Don't start out too deep and they won't get scared. And if you're looking for ideas, check out the If... series of books by Evelyn McFarlane and James Saywell.

Now, I hear Mattie's on the way back to the office, so I'd better peace. Hugs, guys.