Life: Playing a game of chess, when all you know how to do is play checkers...

 Dearest Reader (from another fish bowl)-

        I must confess. I know how to play chess, but do I do it on a regular basis? No. I prefer checkers because it's easy and without strategy for the most part--it's based on luck and whether or not your opponent is paying close attention or not. Chess requires finesse, audaciousness, practice, and all things I'd rather not do because it takes so much time and I'd rather be doing things that are more fun than plotting my next move, yet we all play chess in life, whether or not we realize it. We're constantly devising our next play and all of our contingency plans, based on whether or not we do this or that "one thing" that will ultimately be a deciding factor as to whether or not we get that raise, buy that house, fall in love with the person of our dreams, or be the best version of ourselves that we possibly can. (Squirrel!) I have two nephews that are chess champions and then they got so good that it no longer became fun for them to play because they keep beating people in a couple of moves. It reminds me of the time that my older brother had been playing chess for months and practicing with A.I. teacher of chess and then thought he could beat my two oldest nephews. My brother took on the chess champions, only to have his ego dashed and crushed within 4 moves, from my nephews. My brother was so irate from losing so quickly that he screamed the "F" word and then threw the chess board off the table. My sister and I just laughed our hearts out, mainly it was amusing to see someone that is very clever to be bested by adolescents. 

        I'm constantly in awe of those that move through life with astronomical speed, all the while having little or no communication skills. I feel that communication is key to a good life and there are those that wield communicative skills so well, that they convince themselves along with those around them that they don't need college degrees and can talk Eskimos into buying ice from them. I've seen it first hand, but I've also been very cautious of people like that because they have the propensity to think that they are always right. I prefer education, myself. I've realized that education shapes one into an independent thinker, usually. There are those that can't seem to think on their own and assume their professors' thought processes and think they are somehow enlightened above the rest of us and yet they don't have the PhD to prove it. Granted after having three degrees myself, along with being four classes away from two more degrees from an accredited college, I have felt that the fancy pieces of paper are just that--fancy pieces of paper--they do not necessarily dictate or divulge one's GPA or one's ability to have success in life. I personally have learning disabilities from having M.S. (multiple sclerosis) because of the M.S. lesions being in the parts of my brain that deal with intellect and getting things out that I want too, but can't at times when I'm speaking. I've had to work extra hard at schooling and it has been even harder because I also suffer from the inattentive type of ADHD. When I was first put on ADHD medication, I was able to think clearly for the first time in my life! I ended up turning in six late papers in one night and my professor asked me what was going on?! I told her it was being properly medicated that was making me able to turn in work. It felt for a while like that movie "Limitless" with the swoon worthy Bradly Cooper's character trying out a drug that made him able to do things that his mind had never conjured up in being able to do. That was how it was like for me at first with that ADHD medication, then my body became tolerant and it lost the ability to function at those high rates. Sadness. I was severely bummed out when my body became tolerant to the ADHD medication and didn't work like it did at the very beginning. 

           Life is funny at times, or at least I like to find the hilarity in the mundane things of life--they can always be found if you look for them. That's what gives me most of my joy, that and my fiancé. Tomorrow, or shall I say today (Friday), I'll be having my six hour infusion of IVIG therapy (that I get once a month) for my other autoimmune disease-Common Variable Immunodeficiency. Good times, good times. Basically it means that I get sick a lot from a lot of things that most people don't. The IVIG therapy helps both autoimmune illnesses, according to my neurologist and immunologist. Here's to health and then some! 

Cheers, (no beers)! 

           

B. 

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