Inspired by Zürich

Zürich.

Associations, any?

While you are thinking, let me please tell you some off-topic context. This post will start the series of highlights. Summer highlights. Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter... and Spring . One of ours, mine and my husband’s, favorite movies.

Highlights.
Vivid memories.
Memories - shaped neural pathways in our brain which structure changes each time we go on a time travel trip…

Firstly, it was sad for me to find out about this scientific conclusion.
On the other hand, it means that from the physiological point of view memories are nothing more and nothing less then a raw material. Raw material which in each given moment is here to shape and re-shape, to choose from in order to opt for a continuation of the storyline, a storyline I’d like to go on telling by my actions in life.

“Neurons that wire together fire together”. I guess, there is a body of opposing to this statement researches, however, for me it’s one of the best things I know, I like about life.
By the way, I find it very insightful that according to the grammar of the Japanese language it’s possible to put the verb “to know” in the present continuous tense, so “I’m knowing”. To me it represents the whole different paradigme of the perception of the world. It implies on the fleeting nature of knowledge. I felt like I was standing in the foot of an awe-inspiring mountain when I first learnt this grammar point. When the “wire together, fire together” principle was a very explanatory, helpful piece of knowledge thanks to which I started to better understand the causes and logic behind some of my ridicules behavioural patterns, the best inspiring piece of knowledge that I’ve ever learnt so far is the discovery of neuroplacisity.

It gave me hope.

It made me believe that I’m not doomed to bump into my outdated behavioural and thinking patterns and as far as my brain doesn’t have any clinical damages I’m capable of doing my bit of (daily) practice in order to change some upsetting neural paths and as a result, to have more freedom in choice of my actions.

This is one of the reasons I'm starting the series of “Highlights”.

Why do I go back to the summer 2021 in order to begin?

Because it was another very painful year for me. A year of revived hopes and followed disappointments. Secondly, because the photos from this particular event are due for three years. It wasn't an agreement, I did it voluntarily, however, I did say that I would share the photos.

Why haven’t I done it so far?

The reason is that at that time I was a student on a contemporary art program. The biggest part of the program was dedicated to the art of photography. Composition. Points of attention. Statics and dynamics in the frame. Framing itself. Light and shadow. I had a look at the taken pictures. I felt that they are all bad. Framing, colours, composition... Everything is out of order. I hoped to get an advice on how to select the photos before I would share them. How probably I should correct colours, reframe…

A long story.

Anyways, I’m not a photographer anymore. I sold my camera. Though, I still can’t resist taking some pictures. In terms of a visual diary. I don’t expect from my photos anything anymore. I’m ok with making bad photos.

Despite all of these disappointments, I’ve manage to save the thought that my bad photos might help to revive some good memories.

Some memories that might inspire new actions. To create some new memories. Worth living memories.

And now, back Zürich.

I guess, many chess players might think of the Bronstein’s book. I did. The “Zürich International chess tournament 1953”. Even now I see this brown brick-like book with my inner eye. I see myself as a 7 years old girl sitting alone with this book, trying to complete my father’s assignment… Well, other stories for some other time, perhaps.

Chess turned out to be a magic carpet for me. Thanks to chess my world stopped being restricted by the space of a tiny one-piece apartment of my father and the wire around my native city. This wire is still hanging around it, my Mather is still pretending not noticing it and when I ask she tells me, that this wire is beautiful. As for me, I still have this wire of neural pathways that keep me imprisoned in the past.

Highlights. I hear Zürich and I choose to redirect my inner eye towards the incredible chess events we took part together with my husband.

I choose to think of the chess culture that was passed on from generation to generation, teaching people not to fight each other in order to become first (and lonely and traumotized), but to think, to act consciously.

There are also some more thoughts surfacing each time when I hear "Zürich". Again, I leave these stories and ideas for another time. I hope to be able to rediscover the game of chess for myself. And to do something so that chess would be associated more with culture and not with sport and headlines about cheating.

If we play chess in order to maintain culture, to develop intellectual and spiritual qualities in the first place, there isn’t point of cheating at all since in this case a player can cheat only oneself by the act of “outsourcing” one’s own brain in order to win a game.

The whole meaning of what victory is, changes.

I would very appreciate if people who find themselves on the photos could leave a comment saying what kind of memories you keep from this event. And… I guess some of the participants have witnessed with their own eyes the famous international tournament… If yes, I’m wondering what kind of impact this event had on your life? It’s well-known that the book about this event had a huge impact on at least couple of generations of chess players.