So, I’ve been trying to get into crosswords lately. It seemed like a fun, chill way to keep my brain busy, you know? I figured, “Hey, I read a lot, I’ve got a decent vocabulary, how hard could it be?” Famous last words, right?
I started with one of those “easy” puzzle books from the supermarket. The kind with, like, big squares and supposedly simple clues. I grabbed a pen – felt more official than a pencil, somehow – and dug in.
First few clues? No problem. “A baby cat”. Boom, “kitten”. “Opposite of down”. Easy, “up”. I was feeling pretty smug, I gotta admit. I was thinking, “This is a breeze! I’m a natural!”
Then… things got messy.
- I hit a clue that was something like “Shakespearean farewell”. My mind went completely blank. I knew it was probably something simple, but I just couldn’t conjure it up.
- Then there was the one that asked for a “five-letter word for a type of tree”. I stared at it for, like, ten minutes. I tried “birch”, “maple”, “oak”…nope nothing.
- Worst part is, because I’m so new at it, I didn’t realize how much the intersecting words mattered. I stuck “adieu” in for that farewell (finally!), which seemed right, but it completely messed up the across clues.
I ended up with a grid that looked like a toddler had attacked it with a pen. There were crossed-out words, letters crammed into tiny spaces, and more than a few coffee stains from where I’d slammed my mug down in frustration.
So, yeah, my first real attempt at a crossword? Not exactly a triumph. My initial confidence was shattered, and it seems crossword puzzles have an unexpected twist.
But, I’m not giving up! I scribbled all over that first puzzle, learned from my mistakes (I think), and moved on to the next one. I even switched to pencil – learned that lesson the hard way. Baby steps, right?
