McCreadyandChess

“You are never dedicated to something you have complete confidence in. No one is fanatically shouting that the sun is going to rise tomorrow. They know it’s going to rise tomorrow. When people are fanatically dedicated to political or religious faiths or any other kinds of dogmas or goals, it’s always because these dogmas or goals are in doubt.”

Pirsig, Zen and The Art of Motorcycle Maintenance -An Enquiry into Values.

If something reduces in size ad infinitum, there comes a point when it stops being what it is, wouldn’t that be right?  Was it altogether unsurprising that when the beleaguered Luton Chess club lost its home of nearly 40 years and several of what few members it clung onto left thereafter, its footing within the town was finally and begrudgingly lost? I think not.

For the first time in its recorded history, Luton Chess Club no longer plays within the confines of the town. Those who wish to represent Luton at chess must now travel up the A6 to Bedford, whose chess club has kindly accommodated what is left of its historical south Bedfordshire rival.

“To accuse others for one’s own misfortune is a sign of want of education. To accuse oneself shows that one’s education has begun. To accuse neither oneself nor others shows that one’s education is complete.”

Epictetus

At several points both before and after, as well as during the two great abysmal wars of the 20th century, Luton had no chess club, however, some years later, after the Great English Chess Explosion occurred, the town had more than half a baker’s dozen clubs and almost 20 stunningly mediocre teams -with the odd exception! The latest set back, endogenous or otherwise, is of course, like life itself and all things in it, temporary in nature…let us hope that a resolution is found sooner rather than later but if not then so be it.

Should you wish to play for Luton, please take note of the following e-mail address: pmontgomery@ntlworld.com. Peter will assist you in your endeavours over the board, however sublime, egocentric, stupendous, uninteresting or nefarious they may be.

“True happiness is to enjoy the present, without anxious dependence upon the future, not to amuse ourselves with either hopes or fears but to rest satisfied with what we have, which is sufficient, for he that is so wants nothing. The greatest blessings of mankind are within us and within our reach. A wise man is content with his lot, whatever it may be, without wishing for what he has not.”

Seneca

A Lutonian speaketh…

Seneca? Epictetus?