Like thousands—millions?—of others I have succumbed to the charm of Wordle. There’s the wonderful name of its creator—Josh Wardle. There’s the backstory of his presenting it as a gift to his word-game-loving partner. There’s it’s modesty: just one small word just once a day, as if in recognition that we have—or should have -other things to do. And there was the purity with which it was first offered without charge, with Wardle resisting the temptation to “monetize,” though I’m glad he was ultimately rewarded for his ingenuity. I hope it won’t eventually slide behind a paywall or start sprouting ads.
But what I think I like most compelling about the game is its ubiquity.
We used to share things, remember? Before we got siloed by cable tv, we all got our news from one of maybe three national broadcasters, especially Walter Cronkite. When JFK was shot, he choked up with us. When he said, at the end of a broadcast, “And that’s the way it is,” we knew we had not just been served a sludge of “alternative facts” but rather the reality of what had happened that day in the world we shared.
And I think, too, of “Sesame Street,” which was such a broadly shared staple of a certain moment of childhood. Obviously not everyone shared those moments, but enough did to make it a touchstone. I pictured children all across the country learning, with mine, that C is for cookie and facing the hard reality of death as they mourned Mr, Hooper.
Was it a more innocent time? Maybe, and definitely one with fewer options, fewer opportunities. But what there was, we shared. And now we’re sharing this quick little game. This one small moment of fun. A-R-I-S-E and play together!