The Last Bead

Remember the little plastic handheld games with tiny metal beads? The point of the game is to get all of the beads into the bead-shaped pockets. After a shake or two, many of the beads fall quickly into place. With a little more effort, you easily seat most of the remaining beads.

There are always a few, though, that just won't go. No matter how you manipulate the game, they just won't go the way you want. Continuing to try just unseats some of the other beads.

It isn't a willful thing. Fate determined what beads found an early home. After all, the beads are pretty much exactly the same.

Still we roll, though, in a seemingly vain attempt to find the perfect spot. Our spot does exist... we know it. We come painfully close to it, at times.

Finally, in exasperation, you drop the game. It's just a stupid game. Glancing at the game again, somehow, miraculously, that last stupid bead is now seated.