I have learned a lot from growing up. I didn't always want to learn anything, but my Dad taught me somewhat whenever we did anything together. (1 Nephi 1:1) What I gained the most is what I need to do in order to survive the trials that come after me all the time.
So this is me and my Dad. He is teaching me the ways of the master chess player. He is also teaching me the ways of life. I think I was losing at this point, but that would depend on what losing is.
Losing to me is not learning from what you did wrong last time.
Losing to me is not being happy that you got to play the game in the first place.
Losing to me is not playing again just because the other guy is better than you.
WINNING on the other hand, is when I would intentionally get every piece killed off without putting my King in jeopardy, just because Dad took my Queen on his third move.
WINNING is saying, "Dad you're better than Me, but I am going to play anyway."
WINNING is when the conversation goes something like this...
"I beat you." - Dad
"I took your Queen." - Me
"Queen doesn't matter if you don't protect the King." - Dad
"So, maybe he was a stupid King and I wanted you to destroy his entire army and take him out of power because he didn't do his job right." - Me
"I still beat you." - Dad
"So, I got rid of the stupid King so now I get a Smart King and then I can beat you." - Me
That is a WINNING conversation in my book.
While I was growing up me and my Dad played chess all the time. I remember one day we were supposed to be fixing the sprinklers in the backyard but we took about 4 hours and eat Sandwiches, play chess, and watch M*A*S*H. Mom was a little less excited when she got home and nothing was done, but me and Dad were happy because we spent time doing something we enjoyed.
I also remember times in school when the only way I knew how to explain something was through chess. If it didn't have something to do with taking out that guy in order to move in on the King then it didn't matter. Everything I ever used I had learned from my Dad.
About a year ago, before my mission, me and my Dad started playing Starcraft together. Almost every morning I would get up, eat breakfast, and turn on the computer to get on FaceBook. After about 20 or 30 minutes, I would hear almost the exact same thing,
"READY TO DIE?" - Dad
"Sure." - Me
We would then play Starcraft for about 4 hours, and then go do chores. My Dad should probably stick to chess, because playing 4-5 rounds of Starcraft a day, for about 2 months, he only ever 'won' about 30 games, while I 'won' about 200 games.
However my Dad won every single time to me. Even though the game said he lost because I had killed off all his little army dudes, he never stopped playing with me. He was always ready to say, "you cheated, do it again", even when he knew I didn't cheat he was alwasy trying to learn how I was beating him.
So as long as you learn from what you fail at, you never fail at all. You never 'lose' if you 'Won' some knowledge.
"And we talk of Christ, we rejoice in Christ,
we preach of Christ, we prophesy of Christ,
and we write according to our prophecies,
that our children may know to what source they may look for a remission of their sins."
This is what I have learned from My Dad.
Thankns Rian I kinda needed that right now! <3/ shayshay!
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