MORE THAN A GAME
Mahjong helps keep seniors sharp, builds social connections
Story by Monique Harrison-Henderson
Photos by Paula Merritt and Bill Graham
M
ahjong.
A quick web search reveals that
the four-player game is an ancient
Chinese one, played with tiles instead
of cards.
The ultimate goal of the game is to get a
“mahjong,” which is achieved when a player
successfully gets all 14 of their ornate, carved
tiles into four sets and one pair with identical
tiles. A set can include three identical tiles or a
run of three consecutive numbers of the same
suit.
But for at least some senior mahjong players
in East Central Mississippi, the game, which
involves both skill and luck, is about more than
just winning. It’s also a powerful tool that can
be used to help strengthen both their brains and
their social support networks.
“The game really has some important bene-
fits,” said Anne Meyer, who has been playing
weekly with a small group of friends for more
than 20 years. “To play and play well, you have to
be engaged in what you are doing – you have to
think. There’s offense and defense and there are
layers to the game.”
For Meyer, the challenge of mahjong is appeal-
ing. She plays on both Monday and Wednesday
and hosts a game at least once a week. She
considers the women that she plays with to be
important friends but says that in her group, it’s
the game itself that is the main attraction.
“We don’t really focus on food, and you don’t
talk when you are playing,” she said. “It’s too dif-
ficult to concentrate on the game when people are
talking.”
Social benefits
Melanie Mitchell, meanwhile, is part of a group
that makes both food and drinks a high priority.
Every time the group gets together, they have
champagne at about 4:30 p.m.
“We have someone who is in charge of ringing
the champagne bell if the hostess is busy and time
gets away from us,” Mitchell explained, laughing.
“Sometimes, we might decide we feel like ringing
the bell earlier.”
The group also typically has a variety of
snacks, including nuts, cheese and sweets. There
are usually 12 people who play, with three differ-
ent games running at once. Adjustments are made
when people are unavailable and subs from other
groups are sometimes used.
The group tries to leave time for chatting
“It’s not a game that you
learn within a week or even
a month or six months. There
are layers to how you learn.
It’s not like sitting down
and learning a simple card
game like hearts or spades.
You definitely have to read a
book and you really have to
apply yourself. I would say
it’s almost as mental as chess.
Sometimes, after you play,
you feel mentally fatigued.
That’s because you are think-
ing in such a complex way.”
Phyllis Gaston
Clockwise from left, Melanie Mitchell, Pam Rutherford,
Dottye Graham and Helen Valentine enjoy a mid-day
game of Mahjong. The women are among a group of at
least 12 Meridian Mahjong enthusiasts who meet regu-
larly to play the game, as well as enjoy food and drinks.
•11