Thursday, September 01, 2005

Gamble Everything


After blogging for over ten months, I have a public confession to make.

I’ve been a high stakes gambler for nearly my entire adult life. I do it secretly. I do it out in the open. Hell, I do it so much that the only time I feel at ease is when I’m putting it all on the line. When I’m not gambling, I’m either enjoying my winnings or looking for another table to settle my sassy tail next to. This gambling passion of mine feeds my soul.

Although I play the risky odds, I’m happy to say that I win more than I lose. More than once, I’ve pushed all my chips to the middle and come out with riches beyond my wildest dreams. Those were the times when I could sit back and enjoy my good fortune for as long as it lasted. Sure, I’ve been down and out a few times. Who hasn’t? I learn from my losses and get better and better all the time. Pretty soon, I’m gonna own this game.

What’s my game?
I play Love.
I play it for real. I play it for keeps.
It’s the only game in town.

I’ve made mistakes along the way; even found myself caught up in someone else’s game. I used to get confused by a handsome face, hot sex, or a list of pretty promises. A few times, I wanted to win so bad that I missed the tells and lost my ass.

The key to winning is to hold out for the right hand. You’ll know it when you see it. And when you get that hand, you’ve gotta be brave. You’ve gotta be strong. Don’t hesitate, Baby. Gamble it all!

Trust me. It’s the only way to play this game.

Make a list of things you need
Leave it empty
Except for number One
Write Love

If you gamble everything for Love,
You’re gonna be alright.

Ben Lee, Gamble Everything for Love (excerpt)

19 Comments:

At 6:38 AM, Blogger BlazngScarlet said...

"The key to winning is to hold out for the right hand. You’ll know it when you see it. And when you get that hand, you’ve gotta be brave. You’ve gotta be strong. Don’t hesitate, Baby. Gamble it all!"

Ahhhh .... truer words, straight from the Love Goddesses sassy mouth ...

 
At 9:48 AM, Blogger ZooooM said...

You are an amazing writer. You totally had me sucked in to the whole gambling like Vegas poker thing!

And the dogs playing cards was an excellent touch.

As ashamed as I am to admit this, it gave me a warm fuzzy feeling like a well written greeting card!!

 
At 10:04 AM, Blogger Margaret said...

so damn true...Love is the only game to play...

peace...

 
At 10:05 AM, Blogger Mr 5.25 said...

Backstage the girls were playin' five-card stud by the stairs,
Lily had two queens, she was hopin' for a third to match her pair.
Outside the streets were fillin' up, the window was open wide,
A gentle breeze was blowin', you could feel it from inside.
Lily called another bet and drew up the Jack of Hearts.

 
At 12:19 PM, Blogger Julie said...

Wow, when I started reading I got a little uncomfortable...when it comes to money I am not a gambler...I hate casinos...when it comes to love...
my current love seemed like a gamble when we first started out, I resisted it. In fact, this love is so hot and fiery and constant and comfortable...I was imposing shit from my last relationship in on, one where I did gamble, I jumped in head first with someone I didn't have much in common with, didn't like all that much, but made me feel alive and I loved deeply...
I can be a risk taker...but they are usually calculated risks.

 
At 1:06 PM, Blogger . said...

Thanks, Theresa, I really needed to hear that today.

 
At 1:06 PM, Blogger No_the_game said...

Yeap, Lovely lady. Love is the only game to gamble. Most of us do not really gamble for money in casinos. Therefore most of us do not know the rules. Love gambling has a huge price which is everytime we loose we loose part of ourselve.

Best,
Nothegame
www.nothegame.blogspot.com

 
At 1:53 PM, Blogger Unknown said...

When it's the right person --
All in baby

 
At 2:44 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

I would like to comment, but it hurts too much.

 
At 10:36 PM, Blogger Monty said...

Once again i come here when I should be asleep because of something you wrote Theresa, so I am going to thank you for that.

We all learn as we go. We all take our best shot. Is this the one, an imposteur, a temporary place holder as time passes. Each age is a dream that's dying, or one that is being born. Me, I keep trying to wake 'em up because to the best of my knowledge, I'm only coming this way once.

So, count me in blaze, I'm a gambler too. Yup, I've lost, and pieces of me die, but others grow back and I lurch on.

I tend to think I'm typical, and that everything above is typical of all of us, except maybe Theresa, with all the flair, style and class. I can't match that, not my game. I'll play these two, I understand they're the only ones I'm going to get!

Night all!!

 
At 12:07 AM, Blogger ilaiy said...

That is what life is all about .. When you loose you learn from your mistakes and never commit the same one.

I would say your life should be a secret .. No matter what ..

I like they way your compared your life to a Gambling table .. When you think about it .. That is the truth ..

./thanks
ilaiy

 
At 1:02 AM, Blogger Kyle Stich said...

Love the careful use of metaphor throughout your entry, Theresa.

 
At 4:58 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

What do you use for chips?

 
At 2:55 AM, Blogger OSA said...

So how do recover when you gambled it all, and lost it all?
kelebek }{

 
At 11:32 PM, Blogger Monty said...

What do you do when you've gambled and lost?

You pick yourself up, dust yourself off, and try all over again.

That's just my interpretation of what Theresa said earlier in the post.......

Isn't Theresa a Saint yet?

 
At 12:45 AM, Blogger nosthegametoo said...

Definately a tough game to play. But I wonder: how many of us really recognize a good hand when we get one? And still: do you know how to play it when you get it?

 
At 12:55 AM, Blogger Theresa said...

Blaze - We always seem to understand one another.

Erin - Sometimes you have to play a while before you get a feel for the game.

Zoooom - I love that I had a chance to use the dogs playing poker pic on my blog. It always cracks me up.

Monkey - You know all about this game, Love.

Mr 5.25 - Great contribution

Opaco - You play well.

Julie - Seems like you won a pretty sweet pot. Sorry to have scared you with the gambling thing. I'm really not a real money gambler at all. Even with a friendly game of poker, I get bored after a while.

Kristin - Good to know, Sweetie.

Nothegame - Sometimes when we lose, we gain valuable knowledge. I try to remember that everytime I win, even if it doesn't last, if it's sweet for a while, no one can take away those sweet moments. They are mine forever.

Al - You know it, Baby.

Anon - I'm sorry to know that you're hurting.

Monty - Good point. Even when we lose something, we can come back with something new. We grow from our losses.

Ilaiy - I would love to say that I never repeat my mistakes, but that would be a lie. It's more like a hopeful goal.

Kyle - Thank you

Popeye - Good question. Trust, vulnerability, generosity, commitment ... What do you think?

Kelebek}{ - Oh, Sweet Girl! Even when we think it won't ever feel better, eventually it does. But sometimes it hurts for a long time. Sometimes it hurts really BAD! After it stops hurting so much and we start feeling better, we feel like playing again. Be patient.

Monty - You're right. When the time is right, that's exactly what you do. There's a balance between becoming too afraid to try again and ignoring the need to allow your heart to heal.

 
At 1:01 AM, Blogger Theresa said...

Nosthegametoo - Since most people don't mess their lives up on purpose, I'm pretty sure we do the best we can with what we know. Some of us seem to catch on faster than others. Some get lucky right away, while others can't seem to catch a break. And, once you get that good hand, I suppose the only thing to do is trust your instincts and learn from your mistakes.

 
At 2:41 PM, Blogger Monty said...

Now that last post you wrote was important to me Theresa, let me see if I got you straight, OK? We're all born equal, but we develop differently. Each of us has different tools, and it's up to us to develop those tools as effectively as we can, so we're responsible for ourselves.

We try various things in life and we tend to do the things we do best. We interact with others socially, and hopefully find someone to share a good piece of our life with. Some of it is luck, some of it skills we develop. In the end, no one had it easier than anyone else. We jst had it differently. How well we did with what we had was up to us.

You just said it more clearly, more succinctly, with greater insight, and more impact. You're definitely the better writer!! Hear Hear!!!

 

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