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© Copyright 1999, Jim Loy
My first trip to Las Vegas was to play in the National Open Chess Tournament, many years ago. Between rounds of the tournament, I went bowling at Showboat Lanes. I was bowling next to an attractive young lady, who was bowling with two small children. I was watching this young lady, and imagining being married to her, and thinking that her beauty was ample compensation for acquiring two small children.
Hey, this was just fantasy. I wasn't going to walk up and propose marriage. Of course, she was probably married already. And her personality, or personal hygiene, may have been absolutely disgusting. Maybe she smoked cigarettes. Who knows. Maybe she even listened to country/western music.
Then one of the children called her "grandma." It is difficult to estimate how many thoughts went through my mind then. Some of them: "Grandma?" "Am I old enough to be attracted to a grandma?" "Apparently, I am." "Am I old enough to be a grandpa?" "No." "Has my life passed me by?" "Probably." "Are grandpas actually attracted to grandmas?" "They would be if this grandma was bowling next to them." "Wow!" "Does she have false teeth?"
Incidentally, at about that time, Bobby Fischer and a woman came and bowled on the other side of me. I got up my courage, and asked him for his autograph. He said, rather angrily, "OK, but this is the last one." Fischer bowled very hard and fast, with little accuracy. I bowled a 600 series. I thought that he should be smart enough to see that he should bowl like I did, and not like he did.