Saturday March 30th, 2013 was the third anniversary of the day I learned I had Cancer. Three years later and I'm more or less back to my old life. The fears are gone (mostly) and I live normally, whatever that is at this particular time. However I did not spend my anniversary day in quiet contemplation of what I had overcome, nor in celebration of my apparently victory. Instead I helped a friend, and volunteered at a chess tournament for kids.
One of the odder results from my brush with a life-changing illness was not so much navel-gazing and introspection (plenty of that during my illness) but a re-connection with something I enjoyed: playing chess. During my recuperation I had played a bit and sometimes served as 'chess fodder' for small kids. I would help out with the occasional tournament, mostly in the "gopher-ing" and "shusher-ing" roles. I simply enjoyed the experience of helping out with something not about my illness.
So it was fitting that on this anniversary of 'the news' that I was involved with the playoffs of the Windsor Chess Challenge, a much more pleasant experience. It was all about the kids and their dreams.
As for me, my dreams are just to keep going on as I am, and who knows, maybe even play some chess.
