Category: Life

Lessons I’ve learned through the school of hard knocks. This is my catch-all, miscellaneous category if you will, where I address topics that don’t quite fit into the other categories.

UIC Chess Club


My high school chess set

Well, last night I played chess again at the UIC Chess Club. It was my first time in about thirty years playing at a chess club. Yes, I was a bit rusty. And no, my moves didn’t suddenly come back to me. But I’m glad I went. I need some sort of intellectual stimulus to exercise my mind. I mean I go running to exercise my body, so I want my mind to be healthy, too. I enjoyed playing chess last night. I was easily the oldest one in the room. But I got along well with everyone there. I plan to play chess every Tuesday from now on. But I’m promising myself not to get too involved with chess so that it becomes an obsession. That’s why I haven’t played chess for years. I’m afraid to become addicted to it–again!

DDR

If it’s a wrong number, why did you answer?


My new iPhone!

I’ve had my iPhone for about a month now. And hardly anybody calls me! That’s because I didn’t really give out my phone number to very many people.

Then, suddenly, yesterday and today, my phone keeps ringing with phone numbers that I don’t even recognize. Everyone was calling for Tina. “Tina Who?” I wondered.

Finally, today, the woman on the other end asked to confirm the number that she dialed. It matched my phone number to the digit. Why else would we be talking to each other? She said that was the phone number that Tina gave to all her friends. I was getting tired of being Tina’s answering service, so I told this woman, “When you finally get a hold of Tina, would you please tell her to call everybody back and give them her correct phone number? I’m tired of getting all these phone calls for Tina!”

She laughed, but I thought I would surely be bombarded by more phone calls for Tina. Well, since that conversation, no one has called for Tina. In fact, no one has called me at all. I’m starting to miss Tina’s friends.

DDR

Labor Day


Dr. D.’s sons at the Milwaukee Art Museum.

The meaning of Labor Day has changed over the years. When I was a boy, Labor Day meant that I would start school the next day. Labor Day always fell on Monday, and we always went to school for the first day on Tuesday. Nowadays, my sons start school the week before Labor Day. However, they do not attend classes on Labor Day because it’s a national holiday. I think children should go to school on Labor Day so the hardworking parents can relax after having enjoyed their children at home, all day, all summer. That would follow the true spirit of Labor Day!

DDR

Vocations


Now that the summer is over and I’m back in school, I truly realize how much I enjoy having the whole day off to myself. The last two summers were very memorable because I didn’t have to work and I could do whatever I wanted. I really enjoyed spending time with my sons. We always have fun together.

Now that I think back, I have never held a job that I liked. I don’t think that the working life suits me. Given the options of working for a living or staying home all the time, obviously, I would stay home and not worry about going somewhere else to work for someone else. Some people would die from the boredom of not working. Not me! You’d be surprised how little it takes to keep me busy.

DDR

Free time


Barack Obama’s house in Hyde Park.

Now that it has become quite apparent that Barack Obama will not select me has his presidential running mate, I realize that I will have a lot of free time on my hands. I’m not taking this political snub personally, B.O., because I understand that that’s how presidencies are won or lost. I don’t want to hold you back, B.O.! That will be my contribution to your presidential campaign. Trust me. My personal support for you is worth much more than my personal assets. That’s why I was kind of hoping I could be vice president. I could contribute a lot to this country as vice president, but since you have already chosen Joe Biden, I guess you’ll just have to make the best of the hand you were dealt–as will I. As election day rapidly approaches, I get this nagging sensation that John McCain won’t pick me as his running mate, either. I wish them both the best of luck with my name conspicuously missing from the slate. And, I am absolutely convinced that the independent candidate (Rafael Nadal?) doesn’t even know that I exist. Because of all the free time that I will now have from not hitting the campaign trail and pressing the flesh, I have decided to start playing chess again. Some students at UIC are starting a chess club and I am their faculty adviser. Perhaps our chess playing will help American interests at home and abroad. That’s the kind of guy I am! I always try to improve the world in my own little way!