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Profound Thoughts
If coffee is the magic elixir of Sudoku, then the magical trait is patience. Over and over, essayists noted that the only valid secret to Sudoku is in honing the right Zen-like personality traits. Among our favorite entries on this theme came from Preston Shamblen of Texas:Solving Sudoku puzzles cultivates a human attribute that has long been overlooked: patience. Strict time constraints have become the signature aspects of not only our games but our lives as well. Fast food, fast money, fast relationships -- this has become our way, especially in Western civilization, so there's little wonder that this simple riddle has become such a success. There is something deeply pleasing to me in deriving unity and order from chaos. It does not require esoteric knowledge of mathematics or tricks. The information to complete the puzzle is right in front of my eyes. My only "secret" is allowing myself the luxury of ignoring time. If I'm ever unable to find the next clue, I stop long enough to realize that there are no unsolvable Sudokus, and that in the future I have already solved it. Then I continue watching the puzzle unravel itself to me.
Another entry quoted John Quincy Adams on the same subject to good effect:
Patience and perseverance have a magical effect before which difficulties disappear and obstacles vanish.
Dave Whipple of Kentucky was eloquent in his focus on simple human attributes rather than fancy mathematical systems:
I have spent countless hours reading Sudoku logic guides, chatting at the office water cooler, and searching the Web for Sudoku secrets. While there are numerous opinions on how to solve a Sudoku quickly, I have yet to find a foolproof, works-every-time solution. And yet, as I throw my hands up in absolute frustration or tap my pencil anxiously looking for the one number that will make all the others materialize, I find myself reflecting on how knowing life's most treasured secrets is the key to solving any Sudoku: Be willing to take risks and know that you will make mistakes. Take your time. Be willing to ask for help. Practice, practice, practice. If frustrated, take a break, and when you return, the solution will usually be right there in front of you. The more time you put into something, the greater the reward you will get out of it.
Human Drama
We never would have guessed that tears would come to our eyes reading about Sudoku-solving secrets, but many people used the contest as a chance to share some highly personal emotions and stories.
More than a few entries talked of the power of Sudoku to divert the entrant's mind during a battle with cancer. One essay spoke of a sister and a brother competing with Sudoku, with a stunning last paragraph:
When working my puzzles, I use a pencil; my brother, Dave, uses a pen. I write "possible" numbers on the top of cells; Dave writes them on the side. Dave also adds notes, thoughts, and an occasional"attaboy" to each puzzle... I completed my book; my brother did not. Dave lost his battle with cancer on August 18, 2006. His book is now a family treasure. Sudoku is more than just a game; it's a family memory.
To the Hampton family of Michigan, our thoughts and prayers are with you.
Sadness showed up in other ways. One entrant wrote us a lovely six-page, single-spaced letter telling of her battles with a bipolar personality -- and how one side of her personality was so much better at Sudoku than the other! Another entry came from a woman who was in the midst of helping her father rebuild his New Orleans neighborhood, ruined by Hurricane Katrina. Her entry was a bittersweet ode to the numbers 1 through 9:
Seven stoves soaked, we salvaged two! Six sinks needed, three will do.
Five fabulous roofs to face the new season, four left alone against all reason.
There were emotional entries of a more upbeat nature as well. Sara Bickerton of Georgia not only told us about introducing Sudoku to her kindergarten class, but sent some wonderful photos. And we particularly liked the entry from Scott Crudele of California, who told us of a wonderful Sudoku-solving secret that is his alone to cherish:
What is the "secret" to solve a Sudoku? To find out, I start my Sunday morning ritual with a cup of coffee and a Sudoku. As workweek anxieties subside, I hear the pitter-patter of little feet; Allison, age four, is awake.
"Daddy, can I help?" she asks in a sleepy little voice.
Afraid my peace and quiet is over, I hesitantly reply, "Sure, sweetheart!"
She anxiously climbs into my lap. "Daddy, tell me which numbers to write!"
The puzzle become easier as she helps fill numbers (except 5's; she says she doesn't know how to write 5's yet). She also puts numbers next to rows and columns, as "reminders" when the exact box is unknown. More important, I am reminded that it's time with Allison, no longer the "secret," that's meaningful. A four-year-old daughter's love (and help) can solve anything -- especially a Sudoko.
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