Day 26 of the 30-Day Challenge: Procrastination Station
Task: To have my son, Junior, teach me how to play chess.
Reason for Task: Simply stated, I’m the only one in my family that doesn’t know how to play chess and it’s about time I learn to speak chess language with my family members. My husband bought a really nice chess board with fancy pieces some time ago and we actually have it sitting out on our living room table as somewhat of a centerpiece. When he first brought the chess set home and laid it out, everyone tested out its wares, except for yours truly. I sat back and observed everyone else enjoying a game here and there with one another; but honestly, it seemed like more work than recreation. I could easily see the skills levels emerge as family members took to the chess board with their competitive natures; and I have to say that Junior and Hubby are pretty good at chess. Little Man comes in next, then Toodlez, and then me (the weakest link in the chess chain). However, I do realize that just like anything else, it takes time to get good at a new skills set that you’re trying to acquire, and learning chess fits right into that mold. All the strategizing, calculating, and anticipating moves before they even happen seemed exhausting to me and it still does. This game takes a lot of mental agility in order to successfully create the winning maneuvers that separate the novice player from the expert. In order to accomplish today’s task, I decided to place myself into the strategic hands of my son, Junior. I would consider Junior to be the chess Grandmaster of our household. He’s naturally good at the game but has also gained past experience crafting his skills as a member of his high school’s chess club.
Duration of Task: 1 day with residual effects into the future.
Outcome: The instructions that came with the chess set Hubby purchased have been misplaced. They’re somewhere in the house; but instead of wasting valuable time looking for the instructions, I decided to watch a couple of YouTube videos on how to play chess (for beginners). I wrote down some notes on the objective of the game and what moves the different pieces make. Basically, I made my own instruction booklet and I will definitely be using it until I get the information memorized. I think it was quite helpful to have watched the YouTube videos and written down notes (that I reviewed with Junior to make sure my instruction booklet of rules was on point). Then, Junior delivered his own verbal and demonstrative tutorial for my benefit. After that, the games began… two exactly. Two was enough for the first day; and of course, Junior effortlessly won both of them. In spite of my losses, I absolutely had a blast and my son was patient with me and explained the complexities of the game very well. I left my beat-down session feeling a little more knowledgeable about chess and hopeful that I can learn to get really good at it. After all, I’ve been taught and defeated by the best. But, just you wait and see. Now that I know chess won’t bite, I plan on putting some time into honing my preliminary skills into something to be reckoned with. Family, get ready for a formidable chess foe!
Quote of the Day (mine): Time to rest my brain. It was a little intense out there in Chessville.
degreesofmaternity.com 