VIProfessor said:My situation is different from many people's because when I met my wife, I had recently begun what turned out to be a five year hiatus from the sport. When I started playing again in '97, therefore, she was totally unprepared for the the time that a serious player spends in the poolroom. Luckily, however, she had already begun to understand, from my participation in chess and music, how deeply I get involved in things.
I'll never forget the first time I stayed out all night playing pool! I matched up with a guy around 8 p.m., giving up the six and the eight, and it turned out that he liked the game all night. At about 11 p.m. I thought about calling home, but that little voice convinced me that all that would happen is that I would get a bunch of grief and mess up my concentration. Therefore, I made the decision then and there to, as our old people here say, "Take your blows and do your wrong!"
By the time I had sent him to the ATM twiced and used up his daily max from two accounts, it was just about 6 in the morning--just enough time to dash home, shower and go to work! I immediately jumped on the cell phone and called home to apologize and to explain that I had been in the pool hall (owned by her cousin, incidentally) all night. She yelled back, "Pool hall?! Pool hall?! You think I'm an Idiot?!!" and banged the phone down on the receiver.
Arriving home, I was greeted with the surprising sight of her best friend's car in the driveway. Now I knew for sure I was in deep, deep sh*t! When I got in the house, my wife and her friend were sitting in the kitchen plotting a veritable council of war. I suppose they were already deciding who would get the house, the car and the Sony.
I walked into the kitchen, apologized again (very humbly) and explained that I had won quite a bit of money that night and that was the only reason that I even contemplated staying out, and that she was entitled to half the winnings. I pulled out $300 (of course, I had actually won over $1200) and handed it to her. She tried to resist, and asked if I thought I could buy her off, but slowly and almost imperceptibly, the corners of her mouth began to tilt upwards. Houdini escaped!
Over the years, my wife has gradually learned to accept that her husband plays billiards as a sport and that like any sport, it demands a degree of dedication and time. I'm the first to admit that most women would have left years ago, but it has managed to work for us. I would say, though, that it's very important that when you are with your family, be totally present and involved. If you take time away from your family to play this game, make sure that you handle your responsibilities, and that the time you spend at home or out with family is quality time on which positive memories can be based. And of course, don't forget to slip the wife a percentage of your reported winnings whenever you can!
YOu would get REP but I have to spread it around but you remind me of my wife and I. Your first night out reminds me of my mindset as well. LOL
JoeyA
