Since wake up time this morning, this crazy notion kept crossing (and doubly-crossing) my mind. Okay, please pardon this cheesy opening… I’m a tad excited.
As a kid I read this epic story about a great war that waged between two families – cousins, actually – that started primarily because the oldest sibling (Prince Y) lost his kingdom, his possessions, his respect and even his wife in a marathon series of gambling games. After each game that Prince Y lost, he returned to the table with fervor — his passion (and stakes) seemed to double!
From this emerged my train of thought… Often, friends and well-wishers remind us about the proverbial expression, “When life gives you lemons, make lemonade”. In my mind I can’t help but think of mother who’s severely arthritic, and intensely intolerant of lemons or lemonade. Her pain is excruciating, reaching new heights after consumption of this sour fruit – in any of its forms… juiced, pickled, sweetened, other. Oh, well… but then Ma is unique (as each one of us would say of our own Mom), and perhaps of ourselves, and our unique circumstances.
Speaking of which, back to gambling. Only 2% people on this planet – (and this is simply my assumption, but a calculated one at that, I assure you) – seem to receive a hand of cards with all aces, from birth until death, or even every time they gamble. The rest of the world struggles between alternating a good, bad, or an awful hand of cards in every game, every phase, every year of one’s life. In other words, lemons, eh?
Poverty begets poverty, the middle class rarely moves upwards – downwards, more likely (yeah, yeah, there are always exceptions to every rule; this is just a hypothesis); the rich seem to always remain rich (at least as we view them from the distance we’re at from them – i.e. several planets apart). Someone may recall Slumdog Millionaire; another may remember their fortune changing on that last Vegas visit, or may even visualize something akin to an Ocean’s 11 scenario. Anyone in the top 2% is unlikely to be reading this, so let’s move on to the essence of where my thoughts had drifted.
If each one of us behaved as did Prince Y – return to gamble even more passionately despite that lousy deck (or hand of cards), wouldn’t we live life with more zest, excitement, energy, and positivity in our life and make it so for those around us? If we live life with renewed energy, despite every failure – in fact because of it – and with rekindled hope that we will win the next time, chances are we will actually win in life. Forget the lemons and lemonades… there’s only so much lemonade you can make and consume from the countless lemons that are thrown at us. But if we live life proactively with a desire to win the game, throwing in all of the energy, skills and talent that we are endowed with, then we’re more than likely going to win… in this gamble, you won’t have to share the bounty. The winnings will be all yours, each time, every time. So play like it’s your last game, determined to win. Allow no defeat to depress you. The battle, if any, is with oneself – yourself, myself, ourselves. If you lose, play again with renewed will to win. It’s a numbers game… the more you play, the chances of winning increase. So gamble like there’s no tomorrow. (Caution: not once did I say “gamble with your money”… nope, that is a no-no). 🙂 Good luck for good winnings.
Words-n-Motion 
as long as you carry no responsibility, you can gamble. Not otherwise I’m afraid. Life demands sacrifices
Thanks for writing, Lata. Undoubtedly, you’re right. Life always taketh, before it giveth away. 🙂 Hence every person has a responsibility towards another; and if not to someone else, certainly towards oneself. Now especially in the last paragraph, “to gamble” is metaphorical. 🙂