The Pool Player

Sun 10.30.22

Once upon a time long ago there was a program on television entitled 60 Minutes (I think its still running.).  Its logo was a ticking timepiece, a pocket-watch.  Its premise was on uncovering secrets.  The saying among the people was that one would never want one of these interviewers at your company door on Monday morning.  I was watching one evening when Mike Wallace was interviewing a pool player in a human interest story.  This pool player was the real thing; he traveled from one end of the country to the other accepting the challenge of whoever saw himself as capable of besting him.

One could see that Wallace admired this rogue cowboy.  The pool player standing by the pool table, a babe at his side appeared to be enjoying the repartee.  This interview which happened many years ago left an indelible mark on me.  The pool shark was comfortable in his body, at ease with his woman and made a fine contrast to Wallace with his bespoke suit and tie.

The pool player responding to a question about the financial instability of his profession stated that his needs were simple; he had more than enough to satisfy his needs.  They spoke about finances and the money makers in the country.  There is something wrong with those people, they’re imbalanced, he said.  Spending one’s whole life focused on making money was a trap, a prison,

This hit me, a recent college grad, like a fist to the forehead, PAAF! The man was denigrating every rich man in the country.  In point of fact, the pool player was pointing out that they were fearful people who worked all of their life to establish security and they never attain it because security has to come from within self.  The more money they acquire the less secure they feel.

This encounter imbedded in me the vision of tight-assed Wallace and confident pool player as two methods of viewing life and interacting in it, its relative importance, and how to conduct oneself to maintain self-respect.  I would not remain where I was uncomfortable, unhappy, disrespected, cheated, no matter how much money was offered.  I have walked away from situations where I had maybe 5 bucks in my pocket and nothing put away.  Somehow it has worked out every time.  It’s as if the universe is rewarding me for behaving ethically.