Pool… without the water
One of the games I have always been fond of is pool/billards. I’m not very good at it, but I like it a lot. It’s a lot of fun, it’s something I can do with friends, and it involves both mental acuity and some physical skill.
When I was growing up, one of the few things I can remember doing with my father when he had time-off was to go to a local billiards hall and play pool. We’d spend three or four hours there, talking, playing pool, and eating instant ramen. He taught me the basics of pool, then proceeded to kick my butt at it. I did get better, thankfully. We did this for a while, until I hit college. Then I just didn’t have the time, so it kind of died off.
I’ll be hitting a local pool hall with some friends to celebrate my birthday, and hopefully my pool skills haven’t gone completely to crap. I did play a couple of games last October, but I spent most of the time knocking off the rust. I’m looking forward to it, though, because I’m looking forward to playing with my friends, and because pool always makes me feel good.
I need to play golf with my Dad some time soon. If I’m lucky, his skill will rub off on me - he’s REALLY good. We used to have tons of trophies that he won at amateur tournaments.
The problem is… I used to hate golf. But that’s a story for another time.