“Innovation is simply group intelligence having fun”. — Michael Nolan
When I was a little girl, I had big dreams. I thought deeply about everything from the five ‘Ws’ to the six senses. As far back as I can remember, I have always had a deep fascination with everything that was a mystery to humankind.
As a child, I would escape as often as possible to my favourite swing at a nearby playground. I would go out at dusk so that I could be alone, to silently watch the stars come out and listen to the sounds of the night. If truly inspired, I would find myself at total peace with my surroundings and, eventually, song would overflow from my deepest well, sometimes bringing me to tears.
It was at an early age that I knew I was not alone: I was a mere speck amidst trillions upon trillions of specks in an infinite, chaotic yet balanced universe.
My childhood was challenging. I was not a very social person without my twin sister, so when we were sent to separate schools, I found myself going inward. But I was well acquainted with and quite at home in solitude. Knowing that I had a safe place to escape to — my inner ‘real’ place — made it easier to adventure outside of myself when the timing seemed right.
My deep and thoughtful inward nature, I suppose, pushed me to challenge everything on the outside. I saw the outside world as some sort of impossible chess game with rules that I could learn, use, bend and break.
I obtained a philosophy degree from the University of Victoria and it was there that many of my ideas about life and existence became solidified.
I learned that in the chess game of life, amidst life’s blinding dramas, we are all trying to make the right moves. The moves we make affect the outcome of the game. The complicated part happens when we realize, as players, we are not only in direct opposition with other players, but with ourselves. This, to me, seems a foolish and futile game to engage in. (Perhaps this is why I become more aloof the more I play).
Perhaps instead of playing in terms of winning or losing — against others and even ourselves — we should play for the sake of playing, because really, this is what we are biologically driven to do. But then again, beyond biology, there exists a consciousness with the ability to question and even transcend the very laws of physics. With such potential, is it nor our duty as evolving, conscious and self-aware biological entities to deal better game?
In the chess game of life, I think I’ll be the board, not the pawn.
Photo Credit
“Big chess” Emmaline @ Flickr.com. Creative Commons. Some Rights Reserved.
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