Introduction to Puzzles

by Anita Ramirez Negrón

Merriam-Webster's Online Dictionary defines a puzzle "as something that puzzles: a difficult question or problem: a question, problem, toy, or contrivance designed for testing ingenuity." I think a puzzle is anything that makes you think, that makes you use your noggin. It is something that will peek your curiosity enough to cause you to make an attempt at solving it.

A puzzle can come in all shapes, sizes, and forms. They can be tangible: jigsaw puzzles, a Rubik's cube, puzzle boxes, interlocking blocks, tangrams, etc. But they can also be intangible things. Trying to figure out how to get to the cookie jar without Mom knowing is a puzzle. Getting your chores done while still not missing your favorite show's 12-hour marathon is a puzzle. Choosing your next move in a chess game is a puzzle. Working out a monthly budget is a puzzle.

Some puzzles are easy, while others are perplexing and intricate. Some require almost no thinking, for others you'll need a stack of paper and a few pencils with good erasers, and still many others require a different kind of thinking. Sometimes the most obvious answer is not the answer at all. A good puzzle will help stretch the limits of your thoughts and encourage your mind to think 'outside of the box'. It should be challenging but not a frustration to those who are attempting a solution.

We have heard a lot about brain exercise and how it works; that activity that stimulates the intellect is known to have the potential to stave off Alzheimer's and many other brain diseases. There have been many studies that have found that older folks who regularly flex their brains have almost halved the risk of developing Alzheimer's. But you don't have to wait till you're older to start flexing that brain with a good puzzle.

Here at GrandMatrix, many of our members come together to share puzzles that they themselves have solved for the enjoyment of others. These puzzles can come from textbooks, newspapers, puzzle books, from online, or daily life. One member enjoys sharing the word puzzles and games she collects from books while another will post intriguing situation puzzles. There are word games, math problems, logic puzzles, picture puzzles, trivia, quizzes, word mazes, cryptograms, anagrams, situation puzzles, word puns, riddles, teasers, and any others you can think of. So many times I have found myself using several pages of a notebook trying to solve a challenging puzzle and there is a great sense of satisfaction when you reach the answer.

Not only does solving a puzzle give you a feeling of accomplishment, you can get that same feeling by making up puzzles of your own. Taking an extreme close-up photo of an everyday object and seeing who can solve what is it is an example from one of our members of an original puzzle that is easy to create and fun for others to solve. Another member collects music and movie trivia and presents these in the form of a quiz. These do not take too long to put together and can still present a good challenge for others to answer. I came up with a puzzle idea once while I happened to be working on solving another.

GM members range from old to young or somewhere in between. They're doctors, bankers, secretaries, beauticians, professors, students, moms, and dads. It doesn't matter who you are, what you do, or how old you are. You can still enjoy a great puzzle that will keep you stimulated, thinking, and solving.

Let's get puzzling!