Sometimes, when I think I have a hard problem to solve, I sit down with my Rubik's Cube. I solve it over and over and over again, until I fall asleep or get tired, or perhaps until I have come up with a solution to my problem. Sometimes I feel that the cube is simpler than everyday problems. It can always be solved, once you know the algorithms. It always has that puzzling perfection that can't be ruined, except by mixing up the colors. I have four cubes.
The first one I got was for the 25th anniversary of the invention of the cube. It is my favorite because the white side is a mirror, and when it is solved, I can see my reflection.
The second one I got was a regular cube. This one was more recent and I got at the same time as the third, which was a mini keychain cube that I take dangling from my purse everywhere I go.
The fourth one was one I bought at the Boy Scouts store (where my brother gets his BS related stuff, such as the uniform). It has the different logos (if that's what they are, I'm not sure) for the different ranks of BS. That one is the hardest because I can solve the colors, but I must be careful to get the designs right, to make sure that the head isn't where the tail should go in the eagle or that the words aren't cut out because I put a piece where it shouldn't go.
I usually sit down and solve every cube until I get it correctly (which takes around 2 minutes for each) and then I feel better, or get inspired and start to write. And even when I don't get that last cube right, I know I have learned something. And I know that every problem has a solution.
