BY: RACHEL WUMKES
This year, more than ever, the quest to fill our down-time with engaging activity has intensified. With the onset of COVID-19, people found themselves spending copious amounts of time at home. This spring, for days on end, it was the cumulative effort of many Americans to “flatten the curve” and “slow the spread” of this unknown illness.
Some people organized their lives, tackling projects to declutter closets and cupboards. Others binge-watched television shows for hours on end.
But it was an often-forgotten pastime that made the biggest comeback.
The Jigsaw Puzzle.
Invented around 1760 when John Spilsbury, a British cartographer and inventory, mounted a map onto a sheet of wood. He then used a saw to cut around each individual country on the map, using the pieces as a tool to teach geography to his students. Later, in the 1800s, when the jigsaw was invented, the term ‘jigsaw puzzle’ became common to many.
A puzzle, technically, means anything that is difficult to understand. A jigsaw puzzle, however, refers to the practice of fitting several pieces together to create the image on the box.
When the pandemic hit, puzzle sales grew. People used the long-time hobby typically geared toward the older generation to curb their anxiety about staying at home. They began to hunt for new ways to pass the time.
I mean, let’s face it, there is only so much Netflix you can binge day after day, right?
Since last spring, jigsaw puzzles have been “the cool thing to do” as people posted their creations across social media platforms. Even NBA stars and Hollywood’s elite socialites were doing puzzles!
But it wasn’t just the pandemic that sparked record-breaking sales this year for the puzzle industry. It seems the trend was already on the rise shortly before this nasty little bug forced us all indoors. Puzzles are lumped in along with coloring books and journaling as low-tech contemplative activities. Sometimes, they have even fallen into the self-care category, rebranding themselves as something one can do within the quiet calm of “me” time.
I must agree. Some light music playing in the background, a chilled glass a Pinot Grigio and a puzzle? Sounds like a fabulous evening to me!
The jigsaw puzzle doesn’t just combat boredom, either. Studies have shown improved cognition in the elderly. It is a surefire way to relax a racing heartrate and calm one’s nerves, all while increasing your brainpower. Win-Win!
Plus, there is a certain satisfaction upon completion of “Yes! I did it!”
**insert fist-pump here**
Thankfully, we have the good fortune that Larson’s Mercantile in downtown Clear Lake carries a wide variety of jigsaw puzzles for every age. Be sure to check out their current inventory.
For an added bonus of fun, stop into Lake Lifestyle and pick up a puzzle from the book “Above Clear Lake” featuring all the fun Clear Lake has to offer (also available at Larson’s). It will help pass the time of these long, winter days until the Earth spins around to bring us all back to fun in the sun of summertime at the Lake.