What chess piece do you consider yourself?
I ought to think everyone has their piece.
Of course, there is the rook.
Unbending, stubborn to the point they only follow a single path, to the point of seeming outright ignorant. But alas, they're strong and reliable, and as long as they're prospects are good they can even be virtuous in some ways, a conviction that is unmatched.
Then there is the knight.
An unpredictable lot, they could come from anywhere without notice, often cutting corner to be the first on the field. Truth be told they unlike any other, tactical and capable of doing amazing things, so long as they don't make a wrong move which they often do.
Then the bishop, the oddest of the pieces.
They're the type that never seems to think straight, true eccentrics that manage to stand out more than anyone else. But when it comes to innovation and creation they’re the greatest ones out in the field, discovering fragments of the world no other could yield.
Then the queen, the brightest of them all.
Everyone knows at least one of them. At times people think that they are full of themselves, but they’re confident and have the capabilities to back it, they’re creative, intelligent, talented, with the ability to do anything they put their mind to.
Then there is the King.
The gluttonous guff that everyone rushes to protect despite the fact that they’re no good, and care not for the pieces that fall beneath their feet. The board centers around them and nothing else has value, for they are superior though every piece that surrounds them all have capabilities greater than them.
Lastly, the pawn, and yes that is me.
A sacrificial piece that can do little more than move forward, for what else is there to do? They do the grunt work and move things forward only to be tossed aside when the time is ripe, without a thought, and all others abide. Their role becomes trivial in the minds that surround them, without anyone ever realizing they'll die to defend those selfsame pieces.
To read more of Fletcher's work, please visit his website.