NP LT, I owe you a meal for being such a jackass towards you on the forum. I have heard nothing but great things about you. My mistake. It would be my honor just to share some time with you, meal or not. We could tell some tales I am sure. As far as Illini, I have walked in his shoes, maybe not exactly, but very similar. I think I can relate to his experience and what he is going through now. I just hope to pick him up. That is the best I can accomplish from here. It takes a helluva an individual to share his life experiences and perceived failures among his peers. That is a measure of a man. I would shake his hand, buy him a drink, look him in the eye and say I respect you Illini.
Best Wishes...OF :drink: :toast:
Best Wishes...OF :drink: :toast:
OF- Thanks for the thought provoking post, and the kind words. I think you pretty much hit the nail on the head. I feel like my roots will always make me who I am. I had lived in Illinois my whole life, but everytime I went out west, especially Vegas, I wondered what life would be like. Every time I played craps, I looked at the dealers as having a fun job with good money, and living in the paradise that is Las Vegas. Every time I played poker, I felt that there could be no easier way to make extra cash than taking it from tourists. And I had tried to get on selling timeshares in Branson, MO, but they turned me down. But I knew that I could sell myself better if I got an interview in Vegas. It was a no-brainer to put my curiousities at ease and head out here. The 26 hour drive was a lonely one, and I shed some tears along the way. But it was something I had to do. An hour after pulling into town, I was at a poker table, and the adrenaline was on! I loved it for awhile. But then I realized that I don't love poker. I'm not a great player, and I'm a terrible no limit player, but because of the books I've read, I play with an advantage. But poker has so many ups and downs, and if you don't have a large bankroll, it gets to your mind. The day after Thanksgiving, I knew I didn't want to play poker full time. I played for five hours without winning a hand. I think for 2 hours, I didn't play a hand. It was a reality check, that poker can one of the most frustrating things in the world. And I needed to win everyday, and that just can't happen in poker. If I had 20 grand in the bank, it would have been easier, but I know I would have burned out, because I found out that I don't love the game. Working in the casino world was an eye-opening experience. I realized that these high paid workers are good, fun loving people, but they are dead broke. There aren't very many shrewd people in the casino industry. Just get money, then spend it on gambling and booze, and then do it all again the next day. I went to craps dealer school, but I'm not good enough with my hands to deal that game. Maybe I could have learned, but the desire to do so went away. Then I got my break with the resort company. But like poker, you have to have money saved up. I took a leave over the weekend and told them that I didn't know if I could do the job right now. The more I researched about the industry over the weekend, I knew that I could never sell one to my friends. I would direct them online to buy for 40 cents on the dollar from another owner. That was the last straw. The job appealed to me, because you don't have to prospect or set appointments. The hardest part of sales, getting people in front of you, was done for you. But the product is very tough to sell. I know I want to be in sales, but decided that I could really help people better selling a needs-based product. Since the door to take the job back home is still open, it was a no-brainer decision to do just that. As a side note, for all you bonus whores out there, you can attend timeshare presentations left and right at all the companies in any resort town, and can clean up. They give you 100-150 cash just to listen to a presentation. That's why the leads are so bad, so many people just come for the free gifts. Anyway, I came out here and found out a lot. I found out about poker, I found out about working in the casino industry, I found out about selling timeshares, and I found out that Illinois will always feel like home. I found out that I can be in a foreign place, make the best of it, and be content. I was out here 5 months, and I will be able to adjust, if I choose to live somewhere other than Illinois in the future. But there's nothing here for me that isn't better back home right now. Now that I have resolved my questions about Vegas, which had been going on for several years, I can pursue my new career with a burning desire. I suppose that when I leave on Saturday, it will be a bit sad. I actually feel that right now as I type this. Even though I haven't played much poker lately, I will probably wish to go sit down at a table in a few days, knowing that I no longer will have that option. The grass always tends to look greener on the other side, because that is our human nature. Vegas is a great place, but I have found that the grass is not greener than it is in Illini country. Time to move on and turn the page.
Illini, there should be no sadness, no remorse. You tried, you learned more about yourself through soul searching in a short time than most people have in a lifetime of low risk. Only take away positives from the situation, leave with a smile and a promise of better things to come. The most important thing is moving on and realizing what you accomplished. You found yourself, which is worth more than anything you can buy. Better now than later. Forget the long teary eyed drive home. Suck it up and think, nothing can stop me now. There's no place like home. What is the first thing you are going to do when you get back? What did you miss most? You can also look at it like this, a huge weight has been lifted off your shoulders. No longer will you spend 5 hours of working in futility, nor do you wonder what it would be like. My point is, do not dwell on a perceived failure, but view it as a lifetime learning experience. You made a choice, guided by your own experiences, that the life was not for you. That is knowledge. You now have more desire and motivation to succeed at something you will be happier doing. That is a great thing. I see a lot of myself in you.
Best Wishes...OF :howdy:
Best Wishes...OF :howdy:
arty:
If I did not like you Kissee I would not break your balls. Would be a less interesting site without your counter points and blow job references. Maybe the restroom attendant gag has run its course, had fun with it but you have any new material I can work with?
Illini, on your way home, get a mason jar, or any container, and scoop up some Vegas sand on the outskirts of town. Anytime you get an itch, if you do, to try again, look carefully at the sand.
Best Wishes...OF :howdy:
Illini, on your way home, get a mason jar, or any container, and scoop up some Vegas sand on the outskirts of town. Anytime you get an itch, if you do, to try again, look carefully at the sand.
Best Wishes...OF :howdy:
