Mama Jong: Blessed are the Tournament Organizers
Dear Mama Jong, I’ve just organized a tournament and I feel run down and defeated about it afterwards. What did I do wrong?
Post Tournament Organization Stress Disorder, or PTOSD as it is more commonly known, is the greatest modern affliction of our community (followed closely by no-ten tempai).
You’ve put hours and days into arranging an event. You’ve invested money and resources (likely at your own expense) into supplies and a suitable venue. Perhaps you have taken an ill-advised route and organized alone, but even if you’ve done the recommended thing and worked as a group, we know that there is always one or two people who carry the project while others swan in two minutes before the start gong and go, “oh you should have asked if you need help” as you place the last East marker on the table.
Organizers carry a huge burden on their shoulders as they haul the mahjong sets up to their very own Calvary.
Are you suffering PTOSD?
Check your symptom:
- Loss of sleep
- Loss of bank balance
- Loss of sanity
- Loss of respect for humanity
- Swearing blind you’ll never do it again
No matter how high your hopes and expectations, something will go wrong. No matter how well you plan ahead, you’ve forgotten something. No matter if you gave every player a 24 carat gold chair to sit on, caviar hand-spooned by a footman, and a limo to drive them home, someone will complain.
The answer to PTOSD actually comes from the community. We shouldn’t be forming baying Facebook mobs. Let’s recognize the sacrifice and passion our organizers put into the events. Without these flagellated martyrs, we wouldn’t have half as much fun, and a few positive comments can go a long way to putting them on the road to recovery.
