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Between Friends with BobAnn Breland

Remember the Ouija board? Do you still have one? I found ours the other day while I was dusting, but it is old and its original playful purpose is almost forgotten.

When my children were growing up, the Ouija board was supposedly a fun toy-like object advertised on TV. With their vivid imaginations, at first it was fun for them, but they soon lost interest. I was glad because over time it had become a little scary!

The Ouija board seemed to turn from an innocent parlor game, with users unconsciously making their own decisions by moving a little wooden object across the board of letters and numbers, to a “spirit board”. Many spiritualists were saying they could talk to the dead using the board.

It was strange how the little hand object would mysteriously move across the board, and bring this unusual feeling to the user, who just knew they were not moving it…but they were.

Then people were warned by religious groups not to use the board as it could lead to “demonic possession”, as the Bible warned against such things.

In the 1970’s, board users were described as “cult members” by those studying the unusual “toy”.

Appearing a new toy “way back when” it was interesting to learn the idea is actually 125 years old. In 2013, horror writers and movie makers used Ouija for two movies and for videos. It was always a little eerie!

So the board at our house was gradually buried along with many other old toys. However, it did not disappear. It was used for other purposes and moved around so much all the markings were eventually wiped away and all that was left was a blank brown board.

Before lap boards were available, my children used the board for homework or as a base for drawing or playing with other puzzles. We used it as a lap “desk” for figuring household bills and payments.

For almost any use, the board was brought into use, even by the grandchildren as we were reading books. It made a great surface for my lap to hold the book as the children sat on either side of me.

Before computers, it was perfect for playing Solitaire as the cardboard cards fit perfectly across the board. The blank board was eventually stashed at the end of the sofa in an area where it was available for any use whatever. I guess the hand control was lost along with other discarded toys and games.

I pulled it out the other day as I was dusting and had a moment of remembering its many uses. I recall using it to hold a hot dish I was carrying to a church dinner. It was the perfect surface to set on the floor in the back seat and hold the heavy hot dish until arriving at church.

With no more use for Solitaire and with the kids now grown and gone, the board is still waiting to be used. The strong brown board had found many uses over the years. Every once in a while someone would say, “I need the Ouija board” and we would dig it out.

The board still hangs out at the end of the sofa for any possible future use. Occasionally one of the “children” will remember it and ask if I still have the Ouija board. I just used it for a small chore so my answer was, “yes I still have it”.

Maybe it’s the eerie nature of that game that will let it live forever.