CRAZY FOR BRIDGE

By Sally Quale
A glance at recent issues of The Lakeville Journal and The Litchfield County Times
indicates that the recreational pastime of bridge, much like those currently well publicized invasive plants, has infiltrated and is proliferating in the Northwest Corner.
Norfolk is no exception. Marc Nied and Linda Pizzica, who have been chairing an increasingly popular Bridge Night at the Norfolk Country Club for members and guests for the past three years, report large attendance at the opening night of this summer’s Tuesday night series on June 15th. Sue Dooley, local teacher of the card game to the neophyte as well as the rusty, reports ever higher numbers enrolled in her beginners and intermediate/advanced weekly classes.
What explains this spiked interest in bridge (a descendent of the18th century English card game known as whist)? If you ask the above experts, there are a number of reasons. People are living longer, and there is a larger cohort of retirees around seeking activities. Also, a new middle-aged group is discovering what a great source of relaxation, mental challenge, and social camaraderie bridge offers. Four or eight friends, some snacks, always some chatter, and a rubber or two—this quick and simple recipe for fun is being served up in homes all around Norfolk these days.
Dooley, an enthusiastic longtime bridge player herself, first noted the growing
bridge interest three summers ago when she was invited to teach a class to Norfolk Country Club members and guests. Having recently retired, she agreed to do so, but with the stipulation that the classes be scheduled for Monday mornings at 9 a.m. This, she reasoned, would yield her a small group of serious, committed students. Much to her surprise, about two dozen people turned up for the first class, and she found herself launched into a new career. “I simply love teaching what I call ‘social bridge’,” says Dooley, “and then seeing my students take off.” At the moment, her students range in age from two single 22-year-olds to one octogenarian. She plans to institute classes on Saturday mornings this July and August for weekenders.  If you are thinking about joining or rejoining the ranks of Norfolk bridge players, be prepared. First of all, Goren is gone; American Standard is the convention of the day. Dooley reassures that it is not hard to learn or to adapt to. Second, be ready to observe some of those sticky, standard Rules of Etiquette for the game. Some of them are set forth in a “Bridge Rules” flyer put together by Dooley, such as: “Remember the dummy is the dummy. Prompting your partner about anything is not good bridge etiquette.”
Is there a downside to bridge? One passionate Norfolk player, who honed her skills through years in the diplomatic corps, confesses she probably plays a bit too often, “but I just love it! It’s a mathematical puzzlement!” Her emotion seems to reflect, at most, a harmless indulgence, probably a minor sin compared to the ones being committed by those invasive plants.

Photo By Asim Bjarani