A Nerd is Born

After weeks of nagging, whining and pleading, Grace convinced Phil to sign her up for a chess tournament this weekend.  We dredged through a couple wayward boxes of dead people’s stuff and came up with a tournament clock, several chess boards and one little chess set.  Phil signed her up. Grace is now a  card carrying member of the regional chess association.

Then, this morning, bright and early, Grace and Phil headed off to the tournament.  I stopped by to bring lunch, and it is something like a scene out of the movie Searching for Bobby Fischer.  Kids running around, kids crying, kids staring at chess sets and running up to high-five Chess master Steve who appears to be a busy guy teaching chess all over town. 

Grace was learning how to play and write – Steve wants them all to write down every move (seems a little tedious to me, but RIGHT up Phil’s alley.  Maybe he can help her put in a spreadsheet.).  She lost match 1. She lost match 2. and then! A draw! and another draw!  Half point each, thank you very much, she came home with one full point earned. 

I am impressed, and proud of her and grateful to Phil for taking her.  It strikes me today, as it does often, that there are just so many little worlds in this great big world of ours if you only look a little.  I sense we may start spending a little time in this new chess world – it looks like Grace may have found one she can learn to rule.  Who needs a country if you can have a whole world?  Thank goodness it looks like it may take her a while to master this world, but hopefully that will keep her out of trouble and make her a more benevolent ruler.  Start small. Dream big.

 

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