some people don’t play mental games. they play tetris, maybe walk the dog at the same time on the hour of every single day that they wake up and they’re breathing and they’re okay. some people play chess. because they want something to change but they know that no one can ever do anything about it they can try and they can train and they can watch every single move and match it all up just right and never know what it feels like to lose. but then they stand 3 inches from someone on the bus and they lose control of the equations. Some people use emotion. They use it to take out the trash, park the car, drive to the mall or laundry mat, nearest 711and they hope that they won’t ever have to feel the uneven road or the murky-water draining down the gutter. they know what it is they don’t want to feel and they make sure to never have to.