I joined Art at lunch today at the Mansion. He looks great, and was as relaxed and at ease as I can remember him being. I asked him what was up, and he told me he had discovered chess, he was playing the game almost every day with Tim.

“I love chess,” he said. “It has really been a gift to me, I feel as if it has given me my mind back.”

I told Art I loved chess and had no one to play with, he challenged me to have a game with him an I accepted. We will square off next week. We are both competitive people and  and we love challenges of the mind. I told him I would almost surely whip his ass.

Art loves a macho challenge, and even though I am an obvious wussy-man, he can’t ever resist the bait.

This cost me a half hour of war stories about Art shooting deer, chipmunks, moles, groundhogs (40 in one day) and his victory in countless turkey shooting contests.

I had nothing to offer to counter that It seemed to me Art very much appreciated exercising his mind, it gave him a focus and a positive outlet for his energy and restlessness. This is also the effect of reading, I believe, and why it is critically important to the elderly.

Art needs to work with his mind, not just his frustration and anger. Chess seems to be softening some edges, I am eager to play him, and I will try to whup his ass, nor will I be surprised if he whups mine. Art is a very smart person.

I can’t think of a better thing for him to do than play chess. It sure beats arguing with people, and he told me he hardly watches television any more. He loved Judge Judy.

He and Tim had a match set up for the afternoon. I got out of the way.

You can send a letter or message to Art care of The Mansion, 11 S. Union Avenue,  Cambridge, N.Y., 12816. I’m thinking I might just go out and get him a chess set, there is one with all kinds of religious figures that I saw somewhere.