One year the online poker group met up at the WPO in tunica and it was INTOXICATING. I made a friend from overseas who ended up winning a WSOP satellite, subsequently sold me a 5% share and then proceeded to the final table. This was my poker peak because sure enough, even though I actually believed I would be single and happy forever, I found my true love and my 30’s found me with a family and also a job that now required my attention 24/7/365. Next I discovered fishing and found working an unconventional schedule offered access to quality water, often times as the only angler. As my life evolved poker became less important.
So you see JMC and Grimace, it’s not that I can’t make new friends, it’s that I havent.
I do have a group of lifelong friends and we all see each other 2 or 3 times a year whether we need to or not. one such occasion is an annual Mississippi River houseboat trip that has endured over the course of 30+ years. Unfortunately we‘ve lost 3 of our elders over the last two years including my dad and my father-in-law 32 days apart in 2019. It was obviously a very difficult period but over time I grew to love these occasions that were full of grace, love and compassion. On both occasions family and friends had time to travel cross country to gather at their bedside and love and wish them goodbye. It wouldn’t be much longer until people were no longer afforded these precious moments, so in that regard we were very lucky.
Two months ago I brought my 14 yo son on his first Mississippi River trip and it was a bit revolutionary —- for years we’ve had a 21 age requirement Because we used to literally tear shoot up, but those were also the before times and now there isn’t a minute to waste. But I also needed my boy on that trip for me because of the circumstances. Speaking of the lottery, my boy loves to fish with me. Well, he used to love to fish until he caught his first king, now he can’t even be bothered to bass fish. It was on this trip 2 months ago where my boy played his first poker tournament, and the end result is a like reacquainting with an old flame
Present day finds me long gone of the social media game and the fishing forums died a horrible death years ago so for years my only outlet has been my White Sox Text thread. And speaking of forums and horrible deaths…. the only reason I came here was to purchase poker chips, not to engage in internet arguments. But wait, look at all these chips I didn’t even know existed! Let’s go. And while staring to learn the abcs of chips I discovered the reason for the mandatory post requirements. It’s to keep you here long enough to notice that this place is different. I mean it is not an understatement to say that pokerchipforum.com may very well be our last chance to show the human race that simple decency can still exist in the after times and I find that intoxicating.
and that’s where I find myself now. On medical leave, on edibles —- which has the effect of actually turning me into a better person; however, life circumstances don’t allow me much play—- you know it’s so cliche, the intelligent student who when asked by my teacher if I’ll turn my homework tells him honestly ’probably not’, finally gets diagnosed with ADD as a 20 something adult, I mean who could’ve seen that coming—- rediscovers an affinity for writing at 50 as a result of life consequence, finding myself composing my life‘s story with one finger on an iPad—-admittedly slow but kinda beneficiary because sometimes slow helps my words take shape—- I’m also in a place where I feel comfortable and I have an extraordinary amount of free time on my hands, and it turns out to be an Internet forum. But Marla, look at me —- I‘m really OK. Trust me. You’ve met me at a really interesting time in my life.
maybe I should practice writing in a journal instead.
