The old guy that hangs out at the pool hall

twilight

twilight

AzB Silver Member
Silver Member
In my many halls I've frequented, I've come to realize that in over half the halls I know, there is that one older gentleman who is almost always there. He doesn't play on his table, but he does talk to the regulars and he asks them to play a quick game. He doesn't have a stick of his own, but plays a decent game. He mostly sits around and talks. He might sit at the bar but he rarely drinks. Most of the time he pulls up a chair near a table and watches. He's different from the regulars because all the regulars are friends of each other. He's just a bit different from them.

How many of you have one of these guys, or someone similar at your hall? Strange topic I know... I was just thinking off into space and this came up.
 
twilight said:
In my many halls I've frequented, I've come to realize that in over half the halls I know, there is that one older gentleman who is almost always there. He doesn't play on his table, but he does talk to the regulars and he asks them to play a quick game. He doesn't have a stick of his own, but plays a decent game. He mostly sits around and talks. He might sit at the bar but he rarely drinks. Most of the time he pulls up a chair near a table and watches. He's different from the regulars because all the regulars are friends of each other. He's just a bit different from them.

How many of you have one of these guys, or someone similar at your hall? Strange topic I know... I was just thinking off into space and this came up.
Click to expand...
Every room.
 
Be nice to these guys...you might make a new friend. As I approach that age myself... Anyway, I'm sure they have interesting life stories to tell. Many of them could be lonely guys who lost their wives...just like to hang out somewhere, have a nice conversation from time to time.
 
pwd72s said:
Be nice to these guys...you might make a new friend. As I approach that age myself... Anyway, I'm sure they have interesting life stories to tell. Many of them could be lonely guys who lost their wives...just like to hang out somewhere, have a nice conversation from time to time.
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These are the guys I play with a lot of the time
 
Well, the common theory about this phenomenon is that it dates back to the early to mid part of the 20th centry. At this time, the world, North America especially was changing rapidly.

One of these changes was the movement away from steam. Railroads had 2 common positions in the locomotive. The first being the engineer and the second being the fireman. The fireman was responsible for shoveling coal into the boiler to keep the engine running, and providing a back up for the engineer. As railroads moved towards diesle engines the need for this postition became redundant. Most of these firemen were moved into engineer positions.

Because of this, the engineers found they had more time to enjoy the finer things in life, like beer and billiards. Often around North America you will find a public house or tavern located across the street from the railroad hosteling facilities. This is commonly where the engineers would spend their time when they got off work or were waiting for thier name to come up on the job board.

This became a hard habit for these men to break, often carrying on after retirement.

Then again, I might just be full of malarky ;)
 
Could be for various reasons. Loneliness is one. Another is to get out of the house. A man I worked with wouldn't retire and worked every chance he could. A friendly guy that everyone liked. He said he would love to retire but he could not stand to be around his wife. He would not get a divorce because he was Italian and Catholic. His wife blamed him for the death of their daughter when she was five. They lived on a busy street and she wanted to move. He didn't because it was close to work. She ran into the street and got hit by a car. He died at 67 and was still working.
 
When my job required me to travel, I would often find a local room to go to in the evenings. This guy is in every one of them, and he is the guy I try to get to know. He was a strong player in his younger days, and while his eyesight may be going, and his hands aren't as steady as they once were, he still has a lot to share to anyone willing to listen.
We have one in the room where I play. He might spend 4 hours there and maybe play 2 or 3 games. The rest of the time, he is observing everything that is going on. Every player in the room knows him, and every one calls him "Mr. ----". He has earned the respect of everyone in the room.
Wherever you live, you should get to know this guy!
Steve
 
Over the years, I've worked on and off in S.L.C. with several years between being there and elsewhere. There was a pool hall I would go to and there was a group of fellows playing golf on the snooker table. Go back after a few years, same group playing golf. Few years later...etc. Now they have taken that hall down. I wonder where those guys are playing.
 
I wouldnt call them older, they are just wiser.

And sure can pony up a tail or two about something the packrats cant even imagine.

I remember those cliques back in school, when the goofs would goof and the micks would mick ... ra ra ra.

Personally that world never was for me.
 
twilight said:
In my many halls I've frequented, I've come to realize that in over half the halls I know, there is that one older gentleman who is almost always there. He doesn't play on his table, but he does talk to the regulars and he asks them to play a quick game. He doesn't have a stick of his own, but plays a decent game. He mostly sits around and talks. He might sit at the bar but he rarely drinks. Most of the time he pulls up a chair near a table and watches. He's different from the regulars because all the regulars are friends of each other. He's just a bit different from them.

How many of you have one of these guys, or someone similar at your hall? Strange topic I know... I was just thinking off into space and this came up.
Click to expand...

I would be careful when dealing with these individuals. In most cases they are the people who make the collections for Organized Crime:eek: :D

However, in some cases they can also represent a religious organization.;) Is he wearing a White Shirt, Black Tie, carrying a knapsack, and did you notice a bicycle parked outside?:p If so they could have been sent by Jehovah to be a wittiness at the seen of a crime.:eek: :D

Just some thoughts, and have a great day!!!!!!
 
twilight said:
In my many halls I've frequented, I've come to realize that in over half the halls I know, there is that one older gentleman who is almost always there. He doesn't play on his table, but he does talk to the regulars and he asks them to play a quick game. He doesn't have a stick of his own, but plays a decent game. He mostly sits around and talks. He might sit at the bar but he rarely drinks. Most of the time he pulls up a chair near a table and watches. He's different from the regulars because all the regulars are friends of each other. He's just a bit different from them.

How many of you have one of these guys, or someone similar at your hall? Strange topic I know... I was just thinking off into space and this came up.
Click to expand...
No it's not a strange topic.it is part of nostalgia in life..as you get older you appreciate more and more things around you..you have reached that point in life..those elders surely have there memories..someday you will be that person and people will be quietly thinking of you that same way..you will be the one full of memories quietly moving about enjoying the world BUT thinking of the GOOD OLE DAYS....Best of luck in life.....sincerly Cj:)
 
twilight said:
In my many halls I've frequented, I've come to realize that in over half the halls I know, there is that one older gentleman who is almost always there. He doesn't play on his table, but he does talk to the regulars and he asks them to play a quick game. He doesn't have a stick of his own, but plays a decent game. He mostly sits around and talks. He might sit at the bar but he rarely drinks. Most of the time he pulls up a chair near a table and watches. He's different from the regulars because all the regulars are friends of each other. He's just a bit different from them.

How many of you have one of these guys, or someone similar at your hall? Strange topic I know... I was just thinking off into space and this came up.
Click to expand...

If you are talking about me let meeee tell you that I do drink and it is Budweiser:D :D :cool: :D :D
 
It could also be the other side of life, the sad one.

There are just some people who failed to move on with their lives and got left behind.

You see those people too in small town bars.
 
Ive noticed that a bit too, I want to talk to one of them sometime about the "Good ol' days"

In your pool halls do people have nicknames like it seems they used to "back in the day"?


Like the Side pocket kid.....ect....ect

Those nicknames that may describe a persons certain expertise on the table, or maybe his personality....?
 
The ones you have to look out for are the older guys who bring their mothers to the room with them! The one in our room brings his 90 something year old mother who thinks she is his wife, It's very sad. He is still a very talented player with stories from decades gone by.
 
We always had one in the poolhall I frequented as a kid. We called him Grandpa Poolhall and no one ever really knew his name. Old man had a story about everything on the face of the planet. He used to rattle about things until I found myself wishing he would find a new crowd to preach to.

Later, I joined the Navy and found myself using a lot of Grandpa Poolhall's sayings. Then I started thinking about some of the little lessons that I'd got for free from this old guy. You know, after a while, I looked at him kind of like I did with my parents...the older I got, the smarter they became!

He died a few years ago (must have been a hundred and ten!). We've got a couple of new "wannabees", but nobody to take his place yet. I'm glad I had the privilege of meeting him!

Steve
 
there was this nice old guy named Colombo that hung out at on cue in san diego. he dissappeard one day. too bad he was a nice guy
 
The old guy at the hall here always sits in the corner and looks at no one....So I usually sing to him...

turn around
Every now and then I get a little bit lonely and you're never coming round.
turn around
Every now and then I get a little bit tired of list ning to the sound of my tears.
turn around
Every now and then I get a little bit nervous that the best of all the years have gone by.
turn around
Every now and then I get a little bit terrified and then I see the look in your eyes.
turn around, bright eyes
Every now and then I fall apart.
turn around, bright eyes
Every now and then I fall apaaaaaaaart.
 
twilight said:
How many of you have one of these guys, or someone similar at your hall? Strange topic I know... I was just thinking off into space and this came up.
Click to expand...

We have one in our room, I consider him my friend. The first room I played in (I'm in my second now) didn't have one, now that I think of it.
 
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