Life lessons from a giant chess set.....

I'm a packrat.

OK, the kinder, gentler phrase might be "I'm a collector of beautiful things." It still translates to "I'm a packrat." I covet stuff, more stuff than any 12 people would ever need. Clothes. Shoes, especially ones that are bad for my feet. Fossils. Schnauzers, real ones, I'd have seven if Steve would allow it. Plants, which promptly die in my care. Camera gear, of course, not just the new stuff, but every antique I can find. And weird, esoteric stuff. Like giant chess sets.

A few years ago, my friends Cheryl & Jackie (see the previous post) were part of the Street of Dreams construction event. And part of the landscape design they created and temporarily installed was a giant chess set.


It was gorgeous. And I coveted it from the beginning.

Let's get something straight up front. I don't know how to play chess. Never learned. Never interested in learning. Chess is for geeks. Never mind that I'm one of the biggest geeks I know, that's just not my kind of thing.

And besides that, if one needs a decorative chess set, there are plenty of smaller ones around. Ones that fit daintily into the corner of the living room, or can be put away into a hall closet.

But desire is never a rational thing.

And somehow....I'm still not sure exactly how in this case, except that Jackie wanted back her garage space....desire tends to manifest into reality in my life. And the giant chess set has come to live at my home.


My home, which has virtually no flat land. And no one who knows how to play chess. And nowhere to store more stuff. Especially chess pieces that are as much as a foot across, each. And weigh from 20-50 pounds apiece. But oh my, they're gorgeous.

Never mind that I now have to redesign the entire landscape. These are fabulous photo props and that means I can write off the garden redesign & installation, right? (Note to the IRS: No, I'm not serious.)

So what have I learned so far from the giant chess set?

Love is irrational. It has far reaching consequences. It requires a commitment you may not be ready for when it comes into your life.

But when you're in love, truly in love, you'll seize that opportunity when it comes your way.

(Even if it means learning to play chess.)