There Is No Chaos in a Pinball Machine

Our lives can feel very chaotic at times. We bounce around from one thing to the next. We are thrown off course occasionally and fall upon something else. We bump into one thing and are then pushed into another. Only to bounce off that thing and freefall until we hit a bottom. What I am describing is not only some of our experiences in life, but the workings of a pinball machine.

                Pinball machines. A game of youth and of excitement. Pull the spring-loaded knob and watch the lights blink and the buzzers sound. Engage with the process and anticipate where the ball will go. Stand ready to pull the triggers at the bottom to propel the pinball back upwards into a field of bumpers, ramps, and holes to achieve points. To the player, the pinball may seem to be flying without direction or course. However, the pinball responds to various mechanisms in a specific and mathematical way. There is, in all actuality, nothing chaotic about it.

                Life is very much the same. You are the pinball. You were propelled into the world with great force. When did you land? How did you respond? Maybe you had support systems in place that constantly propelled you back up when you fell. Maybe you did not. Perhaps you had to wait until the next token came to play again. When you bounce off something, it pushes you in another direction. Was that bounce good or bad? Was it with great speed or intensity? Where did it push you? Remember, you are the pinball. Perhaps you find yourself going down a ramp. Where does it lead? Is there an exit midway through? Can you exit if you slow down?

                We can feel like pinballs in a pinball machine. Pinballs respond to different mechanisms in the machine in specific ways. When we observe our patterns and how we respond in life, we can change or build upon them. Our lives are not chaotic at all. We are responding to variants in the best way we see fit. Now, imagine you are the player of the pinball machine. Observe how the pinball responds to the bumpers and ramps. Change the way you play. Have patience. Keep practicing. There is no chaos in a pinball machine.

If you would like to speak to a professional counselor or psychologist about this and are in the Chicago area, please feel free to contact Olive Branch Counseling Associates, Inc. at 708-633-8000. We are located at 6819 West 167^th Street in Tinley Park, Illinois 60477.

Written By: Hillary R., Masters Level Intern 2023

Sources-

Lorenz, E. N. (2008). The essence of chaos. Univ. of Washington Press.