Playing Chess With Parkinsons

Michael J. Fox has this disease mind you.  Yet he has gone back to work although the fact that he has Parkinson's does not go undaunted.  This is an ailment as I have found that doesn't go away it is like a marriage it stays with you however for the rest of your or in this case my life; there is not a divorce.   This is not the bright side of the aspects of Parkinson's disease.  On the brighter side of this malady is that medicine and modern medical procedures are advancing as fast as this disease is spreading.   Now how can I come to this thought? I am not a doctor or an expert in any manner on this subject but I do know that my concentration to spend thinking about chess moves is clouded when my medicines for Parkinson's are not kicking in.  Throughout the many decades my tennis game has progressed into more time playing chess and as you know I do it not because it is easy but because it is hard….very hard.  To achieve in chess is one of the hardest things in life.  But that is just my opinion and I will deal with  it in this blog.  I   can no longer remain an athlete at tennis due to my inability to run as I did before I had Parkinson's.  Joe Montana most recently on television at age 55 says he cannot run anymore.  A   true athlete must not have Parkinson's as there is no athlete alive in this world that can be a  true athlete and a tennis player at the highest level.  But wait….can chess be played at a high level no matter what age or physical condition?  I'm still trying to figure this one out.  I do know leaders of nations for one can have Parkinson's and be famous or infamous depending upon your point of view.  Hitler had Parkinson's  and he was at the highest position of leadership when he was der Fuhrer of Germany the number one leader of this superpower in that era of time when he led the nation of Germany….oh pardon me I'm going off in tangents(my history teacher in high school would also say this. Mao Zedong the former legendary leader for many of years if not decades had Parkinson's.  And last but not least Janet Reno the former Attorney General of The United States of America has Parkinson's.  If I am wrong I stand to be corrected and I will make corrections; making false statements is not my intentions. But I do know I can say this without having to make retractions and that  I do hope there will be a cure to Parkinson's I would not wish for anyone to have this malady this disease including my worst enemy.
What I am  saying is that there is nothing wrong not even a delusion within a person if they hope to succeed despite a crippling disease did not the most popular Presidents of The United States during the Second World War have polio concealed from the public?  Wasn't Pope Paul  2 stricken with Parkinson's yet was giving a worldwide talk about his religion viewed by millions across the world? So  what is my  point?  The point is that good mental health can be improved by mind games including  chess which includes staying in good physical shape with a  physical activity you enjoy.   Note that I do not mean being a chess champion is ultimate goal but rather we should live to live a full life no matter the hardship.  Is this possible or just plain crazy?

Weathering The Slump

One never knows how long the slump may last.  The negative person could be ready at any time but my feedback most recently was that I am not ready to throw in the towel not just yet.  I just played a hot dogger a term I took from the old school days of tennis I don't know if they use that term anymore in the circles of chess but I just did.  A much lower rated player took me out the first game cut me to pieces in a bad way so I  resigned.  I just got  taken out it happened so fast.  But I prepare myself to tough out the slump without losing hope even though I may lose a whole string of games trying my best.

I haven't been writing much lately in this blog but I've been thinking of my readers following this blog. I'm not practicing like before game after game with fourteen  or more games of relentless and grueling time spent in aggravation and torture.  The game was never meant to be that way with me.  One must work harder and more with due diligence in order to be master of your opposition.  If this is true and it probably is to an extent then I don't want it.  There are plenty of other activities in life beside chess.  Chess shall not consume my inner soul and I will not sell it to the devil.  If it isn't in the cards to become the master of this game then so be it I can only go on and try my best and if that isn't good enough I can only try again until I get there if it takes another life time or two or many more I will get there.  Does such a person become the fool when he thinks like this or is he or she  the brave one who never gives up?  You tell me I would like to know your thoughts.