I have a very good friend who loves the finer things in life. She can tell the difference between “brown-bag-swill” and an aged Cabernet. There is no fast food that gets ingested. She is a cook that borders on chef. But, the part I really enjoy is that she loves to gamble with the best of them.

We met at the  racetrack long ago, and there have been some really exciting wagering adventures over the years. That is the glue that keeps our friendship alive. She hails from a family that plays cards, works hard, and enjoys life. She regales me with days gone by, and how her father would keep his daily appointment with a deck of cards and men with money rolls that could choke a horse. So, you could say that “Little G”  has the gambling bug.

It was a call that I received after she had a unique visit to a casino. She just came off a 12-hour shift, and had to burn off some steam. Gambling is unique, as it has a way of bringing you down a couple of notches, and leaves you with that two-hour vacation feeling. ‘G” told me that she had spanked a blackjack machine. She had it clocked at close to a $1,000, and wanted to cash out and call it a day. The button to collect was small, and it was situated right next to the “bet-all” button. Well, right about now you are getting that mental image of how she played like a champ, and punched the wrong button. The hand was dealt, and all of her hard work went down the flusher. During the call, I was on my way to the track, and thought about getting out and jumping off the bridge.

But, that was me. She took it in stride, and wanted to get in for half of my action on the ponies. I would have been taken away in a white coat, and she stopped off and had lunch. I guess that is the gaming bug that courses through her body. I guess her Dad would have handled it the same, and it was just another day at the office for this high-powered professional. “Hold on tightly, and let go lightly.”

As she was eating, and asking if I liked anything strong, she switched gears and started talking about how much of a bankroll we needed to knockout the Preakness. I guess you could say she is a “gamer.” No bitching, no sweating, and knows the lesson of winning is all about the comeback. She then switched up again about a busy day, and how she was preparing. If she is half the gambler at work, she will have the corner office with a big title, or be walking to the car with her desk belongings. Either way, she knows the golden rule. This was just one day, and knows that scared money and excuses do not make a winner. Her words of wisdom are as follows: 1. you must have the bankroll to make it happen, 2. your desire to win must be genuine, and have confidence galore, and 3. – the most important item of all – is that you can’t be afraid to pull the trigger.  She isn’t, and one thing you can bet on is that she will be back.  You can watch things happen, make things happen, or wonder what happened. For “Little G,” there is only one way.  She has the attitude, the energy, and the love of life. I wish I could make a bet on her, because it is just a matter of time before she’ll be back on top.