MY REVIEW OF 2019
This year has been a year of significant transformation in my life.
In May, I got a voluntary job for the first time in 7 years in a charity shop and developed a new love for Brazilian language, food, music and culture. Unfortunately, I left the job in December, however, in return, I have made some new friends and I am getting the opportunity to get meet new people all around London.
I won the under 1700 CCF Rapid-Play championship grading prize back in May. However, while playing in a Rapid-Play event, I had this feeling in my heart that told me that it is now time for me to move on from Chess and focus on other goals in my life. I have decided that I will retire from over-the-board tournament play after 15 years as a member of South Norwood Chess Club and 20 years of playing overall. It has been an emotional journey with the game of Chess and I am sure that I will miss it dearly when it all comes to an end but I am thankful for everything that the game has offered me because it has made me the man and person that I am today.
I have also been made a trainee accountant for the same building that South Norwood Chess Club are based. This is great for me because I actually have a qualification in accounting and now I finally get the chance to make use of it.
There is actually a lot that I am looking forward to in 2020.
Here are the gifts and lessons that I have been given this year.
GIFTS
- A new voluntary job.
- A new foreign language journey with Portuguese.
- New self-designed yoga routines.
- A developing sense of fashion.
- Language exchange sessions
- New retail skills
- New inter-personal skills
- The 2019 U1700 CCF Rapid-play grading prize.
LESSONS
- I still get overwhelmed by loud sounds and music .
- The best medicines are natural ones like fruit and vegetables .
- I still suffer from anxiety and overwhelm when I am having to do too many things in a short period of time.
- I have to be honest about my autism spectrum diagnosis no matter how painful it may be to disclose it.
- People who act without conscience can have an overwhelming impact on me.
