Time Out for Trivia

"I didn't grow up in West Park. I won't know anything," I pointed out to Mr. Ginley.

Trivia Champ and My Hero

"Oh, come in, it will be fun. We'll walk up, and I'll buy you a nog of ale afterward," he replied.

And so it was that last Wednesday night we attended the first-ever West Park Historical Society Trivia Night.

Fortunately, it was a rare non-rainy evening, perfect for a stroll to the Society's headquarters. We signed in, I paid my annual dues and we chose a couple of seats in the back of the room. The walls were peppered with photographs depicting our community's history. Bridges, buildings and people, most long-gone but not forgotten, thanks to the painstaking efforts of the people in that room.

There were about 50 folks in attendance that night, most of them our age or older. It was a BYOB event, so we brought our own water.

The president was our host, and he declared early and often that the answers given were the ones that had been derived to the best of their ability, and were final.

Fortunately, all of the questions were multiple choice, so we could guess when we didn't know.

The first section covered the earliest part of our history, and the questions were worth 2 points. We figured this would be the easier of the two. Out of a possible 40 points, we got 18.

Not a great start.

"I grew up in Parma," was my refrain.

We took a break, so anyone who had to visit the loo could do so, and Mr. and I took a walk around and got a look-see at the aforementioned photos.

Then, back to the action!

In the second round, something odd happened. Mr. Ginley was on fire. Even when he didn't know something, he was spot on with this guesses. Before we knew what had hit us, we found ourselves tied for first place! Our entries were reviewed by the judges, and apparently, we aced the bonus question because Team Ginley won!

We were allowed to choose our prize -- a gift certificate to one of our favorite locals, Gene's Place -- the one with photos of movie stars and other celebrities on the walls, and a piano player on Friday nights.

But wait, there's more....we also got a door prize -- a gift certificate for Kamms Corners Ice Cream Company.

And, true to Mr. Ginley's word, we stopped and got a beer to fortify us for our journey home.

Sometimes, when life is too big to handle, you just have to take small bites.

And savor every moment.