Greetings G.O. Readers!
Thanks for checking out another edition of The Girl October blog.
I was listening to this Kenny Rogers song called, “The Gambler,” the other day, (you know the one that goes, “You gotta know when to hold them, know when to fold them, know when to walk away, and know when to run; you never count your money while you’re sitting at the table, there’ll be time enough for counting, when the dealing’s done”–sorry I couldn’t stop typing). I love that song!
Well, one of the other lyrics started to stand out to me for some reason–the one that say, “Every hand’s a winner, and every hand’s a loser“. It got me to thinking about the “hands” we’re all given in life, (meaning our life circumstances). I think it’s safe to say that some people are born with better “hands” than others. Some people are born into rich families, where they’ve never known what it was like to have to want for anything; while some people, are born into families that are piss-poor, without two nickels to rub together.
Some of us are born healthy. Some of us are born with some type of disability. Some of us are born in first-world countries. Some are born in third-world countries. Some of us are quick learners– some of us, not some much. Some of us are naturally attractive, according to societal standards; and some of us, have more “quirky” looks.
We’re all born with some negatives, and some positives in life. Some of us, however, are born with an overwhelming amount of negatives, and some are born with a seemingly, unfair amount of positives; but for those people born at the extremes, (with either a lot of positives or a lot of negatives), does the hand they start with, determine how their life will turn out? If you’re born poor, with health problems, in an abusive home, shy, and was molested, do you have the same chance to be as great, as someone born rich, beautiful, went to best schools, from a loving home, outgoing, and was never sexually abused? I believe the answer’s yes. I think the person in the first example is definitely at a great disadvantage, compared to the second, but that’s not a guarantee that that person’s life will end up worse than the second person’s. And here’s the key phrase: how it ends up. No matter how our lives start off, we don’t know how they’ll end. There are some people who start off with every advantage, and still find a way to “blow it”. In the same vein, there are those who begin life with cruel disadvantages, who go on to lead full, prosperous lives, overcoming seemingly impossible odds.
So, I tend to agree with “The Gambler” lyrics. Every hand is a winner and a loser. You can have the best hand, it seems, but if you don’t “play it right”, everything can go straight down the toilet; and you can have a crappy hand, but if you do play it right, you can turn that hand into something awesome, (or at least something better than you started with). My mom went to school with a young woman who was born into much more money than my mom, and had finer clothes, and a nicer house; but somewhere down the line, when they became adults, something happened with my mom’s classmate that caused her to have a mental breakdown, and in her adult life, she didn’t enjoy the same lifestyle her parents had been able to afford her.
I’m not here to say that when people’s “hands” go from good to not so good, (or awful), that it’s because of something they did wrong. Yes, sometimes people do blow it, by taking their good fortunes for granted, and making unwise decisions; but sometimes things beyond their control, happens too. Just remember, no matter what hand you’re given, always play it to the best of your ability. Some odds are insurmountable for some people, but you always have to do the best you can, with what you have. And for those of you, born with seemingly awesome hands, keep in mind that fortune can change, (and not always for the better). If you were blessed enough to have a good hand from the start, don’t squander it, or assume it’ll always be so. Life can throw us curve balls, and things can change in an instant.
So to all my G.O. readers, Change what needs to be, and can be changed, and always do your best, with a kind heart. Play your given hands well.
Until next time,
Bless your October souls.
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