Life lessons taught at chess board

Life lessons taught at chess board
April 13, 2012 4:10PM

That Howard Christofersen of Porter likes to play chess is not unusual for a man like him, an 88-year-old retired doctor who has lived around the U.S. and the world.

Taking part in a rather cerebral hobby like chess seems likely for a man of his background. But playing chess with second-graders? And not just his grandchildren, but kids he wouldn’t meet if he didn’t hang around the Duneland Boys and Girls Club? That’s a bit of a surprise.

But it’s a happy one, and one that more of us ought to emulate.

Christofersen isn’t easy on his child opponents: He plays chess to win, and shows the children that losing is a part of the game, so they had better learn to deal with it politely. All the better for these young future chess masters. Learning to deal with the ups and downs of life can be the hardest of lessons for many of us. Doing that on a chess board can only make the life lessons that much easier.

Christofersen could be spending his time writing the memoirs of his life here and abroad, or simply putting his feet up and enjoying his well-earned retirement. Instead, he’s putting his efforts into making a better future for others, kids whose lives will go on decades after Christofersen’s has ended.

People often repeat “It takes a village to raise a child,” or “Children are our future,” but few talk the talk and walk the walk like Christofersen. More of us should try to follow his example, whether at a Boys and Girls Club, a school or just on our neighborhood streets.

Children need our input, and our time.

As Christofersen often says, “Your move.”

Source: http://posttrib.suntimes.com