Sudoku-bastards

Another prejudice, gone. Dissolved right before my eyes. Damned! I hate when that happens. We all know we get by on a bunch of more or less well-founded prejudices about every-day things. Until this weekend, I had a firm (of course) prejudice about those stupid Sudoku-puzzles. I am sure I don't have to explain what they are more thoroughly, since they are so bloody popular right now. The popularity-factor being one of the reasons for me not wanting to like them. One wants to be different right? Not fall for the main-stream rubbish. But, as the definition of prejudices states, they are your judgement about things before actually having tested it one/a few time(s). And being an aware prejudice holder, as I am, I need to confront and challenge my prejudical ideas.

In the crossword puzzle magazine I buy every month, they have in the last two issues put three Sudoku puzzles; easy, medium, difficult. Last month, when I discovered this new addition I was outraged. In my divine crossword puzzle magazine, how can they sink so low, as to put in Sudoku? When it happened in this month's magazine again, I started realising that my 'testing-Sudoku'-days were near. So, this weekend I tried Sudoku for the first time. I was prepared not to like it, and I wanted to manage doing them all quite easily, so I could feel that I was superior to Sudoku. That I somehow knew how to do it, was good at it, but never had to do it again. It started well. The 'easy' puzzle lived up to its name, and so did the 'medium'-one, and I felt no apparent signs of enjoying it.

Then when I was about to start the 'difficult'-one, I was struck with the feeling of liking that "there it was, a completely untouched Sudoku, just sitting there for me to overwin". I was annoyed, I didn't expect nor wanted to have this feeling. But as a prejudice challenger you need to accept when it happens. I started working on the puzzle, and as also its name stated, it was difficult. I worked harder and harder, until I finally had to sleep. The first thing I thought when I woke up the saturday morning thereafter, at 9 am was "I wonder where I put my Sudoku". That bugged me. But I got over being bugged quickly when I realised would have a whole weekend to enjoy working on my difficult Sudoku. I still haven't been able to finish it, but I am getting there. It is only difficult, it says, not impossible. So who would I be to give up on it? But by now, I am realising that even if I do solve it, I won't be able to cast all future Sudokus aside with a simple thought that 'I am superior to Sudoku'. If I know myself, I will probably throw myself at it, and puzzle my ass off. Damned it!