One piece at a time

Long day at work,  one which reminded me how fragile our grip on reality can be. Bit of everything in my dealings with other people, from satisfaction to anger, boredom to high praise. I am, I know, definitely a pawn in these matters; taking things slowly and unspectacularly but aware that if I can make it safely to the final square things could be transformed.

I was late in the office when I took this. A colleague keeps a chess set on their desk, I suspect as a therapeutic measure. I was not working note; just waiting to come home with TSM who does longer hours than me. I was reading a book about the way great works of knowledge made their way from Greece to the levant, then to Spain and finally back to Italy where they were rediscovered and flowered as part of the renaissance. Greek translated into Arabic then into Latin and finally English and a dozen other languages. So much knowledge was lost - for instance in the burning of Alexandria and the sacking of the libraries of Córdoba by twisted and hateful catholic bishops - but it was also a miracle that so much survived. Knowledge in those days moved rather like a pawn on a chessboard and was similarly vulnerable; whereas today it flies from one place to another like a swiftly moving rook, to the point that we can’t keep up with it.

Anyway, much to think about. Decision points and all that. All I know now is that I am very tired and don’t want to play any more ...