Ever wish you'd just gone to play pool?

[chilli66]

This could be long.

That's how I feel tonight. It hasn't been a good few days. I have an Aunt back in England who is really like a second mother to me, she's been in my life as long as I can remember. Lately I've noticed she is getting very forgetful whenever I speak to her. I'm lucky to have a great friend back in England who keeps an eye on her & lets me know what's going on. She has had the same worries as me.

After many attempts, I finally managed to contact my Aunt's doctor today & voiced my concerns. It turns out the doc is already on the case & has some things in mind for her. That did make me a little better, and as it turns out the doctor had spoken to my Aunt about the same thing today! Talk about a coincidence. It's just hard to keep up with everything when you live 5000 miles away.

Then this evening I get an email telling me that an old friend of mine had died last week. This is a guy I used to play a lot of snooker with. A really nice guy. Good player & a great laugh too. That news really hit me for six tonight.

So I'm thinking, tonight would've been a good night to be playing pool. That was the plan but my buddy couldn't make it.

The thing with pool is, it allows me to shut out everything else & concentrate on the game. I did the same thing when my mom died & again when my dad went. Both of them went on the day when we had a league game, I still played & won both times. Although the rest of my team lost! Perhaps my presence had a negative effect, I'll never know.

Sometimes I think I'm lucky that I can just shut out anything & focus on the game, other times I wonder if I'm too cold-hearted. I don't think it's the latter but who knows?

Playing pool tonight would have been a big help I think. Just to stop my mind from torturing me with memories. Only for a short time perhaps, but any respite is welcome.

I will play the usual tourney on Thursday night. That's one thing I do know, both my Aunt & my old mate would tell me to go out & give it hell!

I'll do my best for them both. Thanks for listening.

 

[Drew]

Playing pool does tend to have that effect. Suddenly, nothing matters anymore. All you care about is the table, the balls, and your stick. However brief it may be, you are free. For those few hours, you are absolutely free. You get to put your life on hold. Any and all problems disappear for the time. The sad part is that life must resume at some point. Eventually you will have to leave the table and go back to the more mundane details. The job and the money. The bills and taxes. But it's all fine. Because you know that you'll be back at the table soon enough where, once again, your problems just melt away. It sounds like you had a rough day. For that, I am sorry. But at least you got this day over with. That's one less rough day you have to look forward to. One less day to worry about.

 

[chilli66]

Thanks Drew. Those are some good words there, that could be applied to many things.

 

[VIProfessor]

Hi Chilli,

I know how you feel, and please accept my condolences on the loss of your friend. I am suffering through similar circumstances, as I have lost both of my grandmothers within the last two weeks (one grandmother was buried last Friday and the other one passed away the very next day). Although we are comforted in the knowledge that both of them had lived very long and full lives, sometimes the only remedy for the gloom has been to go out and hit a few balls. Luckily, everyone in my family understands that this is my therapy.

Keep your head up, bro!

 

[Drew]

Hi Chilli,

I know how you feel, and please accept my condolences on the loss of your friend. I am suffering through similar circumstances, as I have lost both of my grandmothers within the last two weeks (one grandmother was buried last Friday and the other one passed away the very next day). Although we are comforted in the knowledge that both of them had lived very long and full lives, sometimes the only remedy for the gloom has been to go out and hit a few balls. Luckily, everyone in my family understands that this is my therapy.

Keep your head up, bro!

I wish it were this way in my family. All my relatives are very social people and they find comfort through conversation. I've always been the black sheep in the family as I'd rather deal with my problems alone and away from others. The pool room is the one place where I can grab a table in the corner and appease my reclusive habits. But nobody understands that's just how I deal with it. There's a reason I play so much and for so long. It just makes me feel better. Whatever frustrations I have transform into something productive while shooting ball after ball. Those troubling thoughts change. I find hope and optimism. These are also the times when I play my best pool. A blank mind and no emotion. It works for me. Some people talk. Others cry. I play pool. Simple as that.