June 15 2009

Text By Meera Sethi

Even the least competitive person among us is no stranger to that feeling you get when you lay down just the right card, that tickling rush of adrenaline that speeds through your veins when you see a clever maneuver that will sneak you right past the gatekeepers' watchful eyes and onto the victorious square, that rich, chocolatey self-congratulation that you can taste right there on the tip of your tongue when you think of the million-dollar move that's going to suddenly smash everyone else playing in your circle. It's the deep, subversive pleasure of the win, and there's nothing like it in the world—especially if you can find a way to share the fact that you're feeling it, with something more than a whoop or a jump or a fist-pump in the wild, delightful air. Plant a flag on a mountain, maybe; wear a medal around your neck, perhaps—or just announce it, straight-up, in clear, black letters, for all to see.

I WON. How'dya like them apples?