Welcome to Post #100! It’s been a little over eight years – 99 months in fact – since I started this blog. It doesn’t seem like I’ve written one post per month, but I guess I have. The first month or two was a few per week, so soon it will be less than one per month unless I get motivated.
Spring is in full bloom now, and the days are warm and bright, but a couple months ago I was depressed. I feel as though I was misled about some things at work, my writing had completely dried up, my biggest hobby – chess – had become more work than fun, and frankly I think the lack of sun was affecting me. I remember thinking once or twice, that it would be cool if someone asked me how I was doing, or observed that maybe I wasn’t my chipper self, but no one did. I am no better. When I come across people who look sad or pissy, I often steer clear of them. I direct my little parade away from the rain clouds whenever possible. I guess this is how others feel, too, so I certainly don’t blame anyone. It’s hard enough keeping yourself happy without exerting a lot of energy trying to cheer other people up, especially ones you don’t have any tangible connection with. So I pulled through it all in the end, not that things were all that dark. I wrote a little bit, chess has brightened up again, and the weather has helped. At work, I still feel underappreciated and misled, but I’m not stewing over it night and day. As for anyone who had to bear the brunt of one of my many whiny tirades: I am sorry.
Next week we’re taking the train down to see the Rolling Stones in Seattle, followed by a few days off in which I hope to golf at least once. This is the sort of therapeutic week I need to charge up the batteries! The weekend after that I am being the arbiter at a huge chess tournament where I will get my second (of four) norms toward getting my FIDE Arbiter title. In June I am going to arbiter the BC Seniors Chess Championship for the second time. Last year I had a lot of fun doing it, as the oldsters are well behaved and friendly. If you happen to see me coming, you needn’t dash the other way, you can engage me in conversation, knowing I will (probably) be my self again.
*Note: I wrote this, then didn’t feel great about talking about being depressed, so I put off publishing it for a while. In fact, some of the things I wrote about coming up have already happened, and they will be the subject of much more upbeat post soon.