Thank You Chess Club

I live in a small college town. I am surrounded by students and young adults. Every day people are out and about on the river, hanging out at local parks, and enjoying the nightlife at the bars. You would think that a town packed with so many people would be an easy place to make friends, but it isn't.

Aging Out

After I graduated, I stayed in town, but my friends from school moved on. Almost overnight, I went from being surrounded by people my age to being older than most of the people around me. The easy, built-in social life that school had provided for me was gone.

For a while I turned inward. I passed the time on social media, and I watched a lot of YouTube videos. During the day, while occupied, I felt fine, but it was always at night that I would reflect and realize that I hadn't spoken to anyone. I felt isolated and far from home, and I missed my friends.

Walking Through The Door

I grew up playing chess from an early age, and I have played most of my life, but I never took it very seriously. When looking for something to do, I decided to try going to a local chess club to see if I would like it. That choice remains one of the most impactful decisions I have ever made.

Fast forwarding to today, almost all of my closest friends are from the chess club. We play constantly: at the club, at coffee shops, at each other's houses. Over time, as we have grown closer together, chess has taken on a secondary role. We still play a lot at the club, but I realize now that chess was just the catalyst to turn a room full of strangers into a community of friends.

When It Stops Being About Chess

We have become a close-knit family. When a friend from the club was going through a rough patch in their personal life, I would bring by food and would check in to make sure they were alright. When my car needed work, people from the club drove me around for days so I could get where I needed to go. We meet up at coffee shops to work together, just to have company. There are birthdays, parties, and movie nights. Believe it or not, we will sometimes play cards instead of chess when we hang out.

Everyone Is Equal At The Board

The club has also given me something I didn't expect: a network. Among the members are business owners, machinists, credit card processors, data analysts, professors, and day laborers.

What strikes me most about our group is that despite the differences in our skills and incomes, everyone is seen as an equal at the club. The board doesn't care what you do for work. You are measured on your ability to show up for other people, and that is the only thing that matters.

It Doesn't Have To Be Chess

For me it was chess. For others it could be an art club or a comic club. There are folks who build their whole week around bingo and trivia night at the bar. There are people who center themselves around service and volunteer work, and people who find their community at church. The activity doesn't matter because it is the fellowship that counts.

Find Your Club

I am deeply thankful to the club for what it has done for my life. My hope is to give back, so that the next person who walks through the door can get what I got.

If there's a club near you, go. If there isn't, start one. I hope you find as much goodness in it as I have.