The American Dream

As a woman, I was destined to be a multi-tasker. I can’t have enough activities in my life. There’s always more to do, more to help, more to learn. Recently, a shoulder injury has greatly impacted my life. Since February, I’ve been extremely limited in what I can, and cannot, do. As a result, I’ve dove into areas that I never thought I would have previously. I’m trying things I never thought I’d try, and doing things I’d never thought I’d do. However, this need for “more” has pushed back some of the things I love most: especially poker.

Feeling completely shut in at home, I started volunteering. Finding that wasn’t good enough, I’ve decided to add school – BIG mistake! I do homework EVERY day – which is pretty odd for somebody who has never done homework before. And, on nights when I would normally go to a local poker house, or to an APL game, I’m stuck at home graphing equations and determining what the independent and dependent variables are in various experiments.

It seems like these days everybody is squeezing more in – mostly in an effort to get by. People are working additional jobs, or going back to school, all in the hopes of eventually either breaking even or, by some miracle, get ahead. However, what we aren’t doing is relaxing.

I have some friends getting married in a week and last night (homework be damned) I went to their house. Literally, we did nothing except sit around the camp fire, ride the Gator, and walk near the lake. And it was awesome! Had we an additional person, I don’t doubt that we would have factored poker into the equation – we usually do. Amongst all the hubbub of this crazy world we live in, we found time to take a break, and enjoy the moment. Instead of just barely surviving, we took a chance to live. And it was awesome.

So the next time you find yourself exhausted from grinding the axe all day, go out and play. Even if it’s just for a few minutes online – scratch the itch and feel the relief.

I believe in poker the way I believe in the American Dream. Poker is good for you. It enriches the soul, sharpens the intellect, heals the spirit, and - when played well, nourishes the wallet. ~Lou Krieger