Blinking Bandits and Tiny Rebellions
“Wink Thief” is one of those deceptively simple games that becomes hilarious really fast.
You basically have:
• The Police : staring around the circle like a detective trying to figure out who’s guilty.
• The Thief : trying to sneakily wink at everyone without looking like they’ve got dust in their eye.
• The Others : dramatically “dying” when winked at, which usually ends up being more comedy than tragedy.
Honestly, it’s less about catching the thief and more about watching people try to wink without looking suspicious.
The other evening, we sat down to play this game. My son, of course, always wants to be the thief. Not because he’s subtle — his winks are about as smooth as a blinking traffic signal — but because he loves the naughtiness of it. He fires them off shamelessly, grinning from ear to ear, as if he’s discovered the joy of mischief for the very first time.
And here’s the part I didn’t expect: he looked so adorable winking that my husband and I were caught staring at him, then at each other, just falling in love with that little moment. The game became less about winning and more about soaking in the sheer delight of a 7-year-old being cheeky.
But my son isn’t the only one who thrives on tiny rebellions. My husband has his own version — the classic bedtime rebellion. Every night, he’ll declare with great sincerity, “I’m going to sleep now.” Lights off, blanket pulled up, the whole ritual. And then? Out comes the glow of the phone screen. Ten minutes later, I’ll roll over to see him scrolling away, caught red-handed in the act. When I ask why, he insists, “I was just checking the time.” Sure. For fifteen straight minutes.
And then there’s the workplace version of these rebellions. You know the trick — when a Teams call has gone on too long and someone suddenly “freezes.” Perfectly still face, slightly glazed-over eyes, hand mid-gesture. The performance is so convincing that everyone politely waits, assuming the Wi-Fi has betrayed them, while in reality, the rebel is probably sneaking a coffee or stretching their legs. Academy Award-worthy, honestly.
That’s the thing about these small rebellions. They’re not grand, world-changing acts. They’re the little sparks that break the monotony, the winks across the table, the “I’m going to sleep now” fib, the “frozen” Zoom moment that makes us chuckle. Tiny acts of mischief that pull everyone else into the fun.
Neither my son’s exaggerated winks, nor my husband’s late-night scrolling, nor that bad-Wi-Fi trick are going to make it into history books. But they do something equally important — they make us laugh, remind us to loosen up, and fill our days with stories worth retelling.
~Ashmita, still winking at life but mostly just blinking awkwardly.
#UnscriptedConnections #SmallRebellions #FamilyMoments #WorkplaceHumor #MessyButMeaningful #AshmitaWrites
—
This post was previously published on medium.com.
Love relationships? We promise to have a good one with your inbox.
Subcribe to get 3x weekly dating and relationship advice.
Did you know? We have 8 publications on Medium. Join us there!
***
–
Photo credit: iS
