Going Back Home...

After being born in Athens, Ga (I LOVE ATHENS!), my parents decided to move to a small country town called Braselton, Ga when I was 12. I hated Braselton from the day I moved there and with only a few exceptions the people of Braselton hated me. The only good thing that I can take from living there for 9 long years is the fact that I eventually met my wife there. That more than makes up for the bad parts of this experience, but this past weekend on our yearly thanksgiving return home I was reminded of how I felt like a fish out of water at age 12. I spent the next 9 years trying to fit in and learning to be a "redneck". I actually did a better job than I would like to admit. There are a few pictures floating around where I have a pretty good mullet going. I've spent the next 15 years cleansing myself of that experience and the effects it had on my life and character.

The end result of all of this is that I'm not sure where I have ever fit in or if I ever will fit in. I'm still feel like I'm in between personalities. I am part redneck, part geek, part jock, part musician, part pothead, part preacher's kid, part adult, part conservative, part liberal, part libertarian. The truth is that I'm still like a fish flapping around on the ground looking for a nice little pool of water to fall into to.

Thank God my parents finally moved back to Athens and now going to visit them is much better. Unfortunately my in-laws still live in Braselton so the yearly journey back in time still goes on.

When I visit home I am always amazed how small everything seems. When I was a kid it all seemed so big.

Poker is the nuts!

There are many reasons that I love poker. I have put together some thoughts about the game and how it is enhancing my life and molding my character. Every time I play it seems I discover another reason. Here a couple off the top of my head...

1. Poker is all about self-awareness and self-control. You must control your emotions and be able to accurately and honestly identify your character flaws and control them. Just like in life, you have to have a realistic view of your strengths and weaknesses and understand how to maximize your strengths and minimize your weaknesses.

2. You must control your natural need to get caught up in the details of short term success and instead focus on the big picture. There is very little you can do when you are dealt bad cards. You have to learn to loose a little in the short term and "take your beating like a man".
The profitable poker player will focus on long term success where the "luck" will always even out.

3. It makes me take risks when the odds are in my favor. Very few things in life are 100% guaranteed. I am by default a very conservative person. That helps me avoid big looses, but it keeps me from getting big consistent wins. I have to over come that and break out of my conservative shell. My business ventures, relationships, and faith has all been positively effected by learning to take some risks when I feel like I'm in a good position.

4. Poker funds my vacations! I play at several online sites and use the proceeds to fund vactions for my wife and I. I also use a portion to help out some people in need in my community.

5. I play poker online and have been blessed to do well for a small-med. stakes player, but I also love playing cards with a bunch of guys in my home town for fun at the "micro-stake" level. You learn alot about poeple by watching them play poker.