I thought of another dream

I've been up since a little after five and couldn't go back to sleep. So of course I watched a couple episodes of The West Wing. And I realized in the episode "Hartsfield Landing" that I did in fact have at least one more childhood dream. I've always wanted to learn how to play chess.

In the episode, President Bartlett gives chessboards from India to Toby and Sam. It's a nice allegory to the potential incident that's happpening around China and Taiwan. It's a great device in the episode, but it reminded me that for a long time, I wanted to learn how to play chess because it seemed like all the smart people on TV and in movies played chess. It seemed like all the smart people in the world play chess, or at least know how to play. You could have all the knowledge in the world, but if you didn't know how to play chess, you weren't smart.

Although, I suppose if you had all the knowledge in the world, that would include the rules of chess. But you get my point. I don't think that adage was ever true. It was probably something my young mind just made up. If it ever was an adage, I doubt it's still true. I don't really hear anyone talk about chess these days. I don't think it's ever stopped me from appearing smart. No one I know has ever approached me about playing a game of chess where I had to politely say: "I'm sorry. I don't know how to play." Then their view of me changes.

Maybe one day, I'll learn how to play just for something to do, but I probably have better things to do with my time these days.