chess

Well, I am trying to teach myself to play chess. This is not a game that I have ever understood. They call it the game of life, and I can see why. The only problem is, that I play against the computer and on the computer there is a little button called "undo". This, unfortunately, is NOT an option in life! Sometimes, I wish. Anyway, I do believe that little button is going to cause me some trouble when I start playing live people (like my kids who have been playing chess for years), they aren't going to take too kindly to my "undoing" of the stupid moves I make. Again, much like "real-life". People don't really like it when others make mistakes, do they? We aren't very considerate (or--gasp--christian!) when others tend to mess up. We want to punish them......yes, just like you get punished in chess by having your kids yell "checkmate" at the top of their lungs when they beat you.

I'm also having problems with the names of all of the little pieces. I have no idea what that horse-looking thing is called much less any of the rest of them. Well, of course I know which one is the king and queen, I'm not that inept (or not always). Again, just like in real-life----sometimes, you can't tell your friends from your enemies, they look the same. Don't let that devil fool you, though, that stupid looking horse thingy moves mysteriously (over two, up one OR over one, up two.....something like that) just like people who don't want what is best for you. I, for one, like the little small thingys....they are straight-forward; and that's the way I like my people..straight-forward. Who the heck wants to guess what someone needs or wants.....who has the time for that?????

Well, I know you think this little chess lesson was invaluable, or you're thinking that I really am irritated at someone and I'm just making the chess thing up. BUT, you would be wrong on both counts! Actually, just when I started writing this did I think of the people analogy, I surely could go on and on and on about how some are nice to your face and then stick a knife in so far that it comes out the other side, but I don't want to. I'm perfectly happy, you see. I just wanted to share what a smarty I am getting to be....learning chess and all. I'll keep you posted on the progress of that wretched game that has me hooked as well as any other life lessons I dream of while playing. It should get really interesting after Christmas as I am sure that someone is buying me a real chess set.....I might not like it so much without that "magic" button!