From August of 1978 until December of 1980 I attended one of those places intended for "higher learning". I was 18 and figured I would continue my education. It seemed better than going to work in the East Texas oil fields. Kilgore Junior College... It had many names: "Harvard On The Highway!" "The University Of Southern Kilgore!" You get the picture.
At first I was a good student. I went to class and was doing decent, grade wise. Then one day I stumbled upon a magical place right there on campus. I was headed to the campus book store and, as fate would have it, I turned right instead of left. A quick ancent up a flight of stairs and BAM! I had discovered a whole new world! The SUB. Short for Student Union Building. It consisted of a fully functioning snack bar, people playing cards, people playing dominoes, and to my delight...people playing pool! You see, I was a pretty fair hand at pool. I had been playing since I was about five years old and had become quite fond of the game. My dad taught me to play while attending the festivities at a local tavern on a regular basis. Back then noone thought anything of a little kid and his dad being in such an establishment. There were no Karens in those days to call CPS on you. People minded their own business and stayed out of that of other folks. Before long, dad baught us a regulation sized pool table for our house. So you can understand my delight at seeing multiple tables in this new found haven of rest for the weary student.
I watched as young men played, and then I noticed something. Money seemed to be changing hands at the end of the game. I was intrigued. I calmly watched and learned which players played for money. To challenge the table you simply placed a quarter on the rail to signify that you had the winner. We played for an amount determined at the start of the game. It had to be kept "on the down low", as they say, because gambling was expressly discouraged. There were actually signs saying just that hanging above the tables!
My normal fee for "lessons" was $1 payable in cash immediately upon conclusion of the game. No credit. No cards. Cash only. I was in heaven! So many suckers...er...young men in need of a pool lesson. I would soon find myself spending every morning at the SUB handing out grades, usually a "D"...for defeated! I could easily leave with about $50-$60 in my pocket after arriving with only a couple of bucks that morning. So easy. Sooooo easy. Remember, this was 1978 when $50 was worth what today would be about $300! Who needed a job?!
Then reality set in. My time at the SUB had eaten into my classroom time. My grades were horrible because I rarely went to class. I was making too much money to be bothered. But that all finally caught up to me. I had a 0.84 GPA and was put on academic probation. I dropped out of school and went to work at a machine shop for six bucks an hour. Forty hours a week pulled in about two thirds what I was making having fun in about 20 hours a week. That's life I suppose.
Here I am forty-four years later and I haven't seriously picked up a stick in all that time.What a waste. Oh, but what a time I had for those two years?! Separating those young men from their money was great fun! Especially those cocky fellas who talked a big game but fell short when it did not translate to their sticks! I sometimes think it would be fun to get back into practice, but the reality is I just don't have the heart to take folk's money in these hard times! Besides... Folks will shoot you these days for taking their money!
But PT Barnum was right ya know?
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