Pool Part 2

Pool Part 2

Fast forward to 2020 and here I am in Swan Lake Village competing in a Wednesday pool league. On the first day of competition they asked me if I thought I should have a handicap. Ha! me? A handicap? Don’t they know I was an NYC champion? I quickly replied that I wouldn’t be needing one. To say that was a foolish decision is an understatement!!!! What a dope!

Quite simply, I have been getting creamed!!! A genuine ass whooping each of the first two weeks. These people play all the time and I haven’t picked up a pool cue in forty years. What was I thinking? I will admit I’ve had a few brief flashes of brilliance during the first 2 weeks, but please emphasize the word “brief”! The rest of my work has been nothing short of mediocre! 

It’s bad enough that I play ping pong at the community center twice a week and get beat by 80 and 90 years olds (Yes, I said 90. 93 to be exact. You have to see this guy play to believe it.) Now I am getting my behind kicked by the seniors here at Swan Lake. It’s been an eye opening experience for me and I am humbled. But I also have pride and determination. Well, at least a little...

And so I found myself over at the pool hall here on campus Saturday morning for a little pool solitaire. This only served to reinforce the fact that my game is way off, but at least I got in some practice and learned a few things about playing the tables here. I am feeling modestly better about my game.

I am hoping for slight improvement this Wednesday. I need to be calm and play smooth and let my old game unfold. We’ll see! 

Ultimately I have to answer this question: Is being good at pool still of value to someone 70 years old? Am I actually willing to put in the necessary time to get better? After all, I really have nothing to prove. And yet the youth inside me calls me to compete and be better.

My life is a roll of toilet paper these days. As the paper gets low the roll turns faster and faster. Such is my life. With so many things to do and so little time left to accomplish them, I need to be selective about how I spend my time. The youth inside me says to go for it, but the aging grandpa says slow down pal, you can’t do it all. 

The bottom line: Life is good and I feel great and each day is a gift!!!  

A classic Grandpa moment!