Why is Mah Jongg So Big?

I get asked this question all the time. There are lots of good reasons to play mah Jongg. People are craving community. Mah Jongg is a great thing to do to get together with all kinds of people and just do something fun. When you get together to play mah Jongg you have to really think about mah Jongg. So it is a wonderful way to escape the real world and go into the fun world of mah Jongg. You can play mah Jongg with people you disagree with on lots of other issues and never have to get into them.

I am at the Tides Inn teaching a whole new group of people I have never met before. I joined a big group who came down from New York and Connecticut for dinner tonight. They wanted to know why I thought the game had gotten so big. My answer was, “Trump.” Mah Jongg has really seen the biggest growth in the last ten years and Trump has been in the spot light for the last ten years.

I think we need more and more ways to escape thanks to Trump and mah Jongg is providing that break from thinking about him and all he does. Even if you love him, you need a break.

So I hate to give him any credit, but I think he has a lot to do with our need for escapism. What I hope is when he is no longer part of our everyday lives people will ready be addicted to mah Jongg and will keep playing. In the end more community is a good thing.