From Ohio Euchre to Chicago Bridge - Finding Bridge in the work Lunchroom

A story by Erika Meller (BBO: EJOMEL)

A few hours into my first day at a new job in a new city in 2011, I took a break to eat in the company lunchroom, choosing a seat at an empty table near four colleagues at another table.

I bit into my sandwich and started reading my book, but kept getting distracted watching this foursome toss out cards in tandem with fluid discussions ranging from the NFL lockout to whether cell phones were contributing to the decline in honeybee population.

One of my coworkers who had stopped playing for some reason (I later learned she was the dummy for that hand!) noticed me and asked a single question that led to one of those moments in life that you don’t realize is significant until you reflect back on it much later…

“Have you ever played bridge before?”

I told her that I wasn’t familiar with the game, but that I really loved playing cards. I grew up in northwest Ohio/southeast Michigan where indoor recess meant an hour-long euchre game. Family gatherings often ended with the grandparents playing Oh Hell! or Golf with their grandkids, and a deck of cards was always a staple in any suitcase headed for vacation.

“Good,” she said smiling. “We can teach you.”

I’m pretty sure none of my new Chicago colleagues even knew my name at that point, but that seemed less important to them than my interest and willingness to join the long-standing tradition of lunchtime bridge play at World Book (yes, “the encyclopedia company” that is very much still around, hence the lively lunchtime academic debates!).

At the time, I was 28 years old and didn’t know anyone my age who played bridge. But my colleagues’ enthusiasm and commitment to promoting the game was infectious, so I agreed to participate in six hour-long lunchtime training sessions from “Professor Finesse,” a very patient colleague whose nickname came from two of his passions: teaching and bridge.

Almost immediately, I was willingly indoctrinated into this four-suited, black-and-red world, and played as much as my lunchtime schedule would permit. Taking a break from work to just eat or read a book was never as thrilling as making a slam with a finesse or – let’s be honest here – successfully recognizing cue bids and responding correctly in those early learning days. And my colleagues’ willingness and eagerness to spend time with me to teach me the intricacies of the game made me feel right at home in both my new company and this newfound pocket of devout bridge players.

It’s now been almost 15 years since my bridge meet-cute, and some of those strangers are now my bridge teammates and very close friends, largely thanks to this complex, challenging, frustrating, and thrilling card game. Though we no longer work together, we have found a bridge home at the Lawson Bridge Studio in Chicago with pregaming at Cheesie’s Pub across the street on any Wednesday evening that I can carve out a few hours away from adulting and momming to spend time on my favorite hobby with some of my favorite people. You know who you are, you good-looking young bridge players!

How did you discover bridge and make your bridge friends? We'd love to hear your story—share it with us below! 😉

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