Most of you don’t know me as a gambler. I’m not one to sit at a poker table and watch the money flow out of my pockets. In fact when entering a casino I place one dollar in the penny slots and wish for the best. However, this does not mean that I do not take risks. When single, every step you take is a risk. Your entire status is a gamble. Blind dates, match.com, coffee shop romance… each relationship you begin starts out as a bet and the stakes our high. Gambling with your heart is the biggest risk but also has the greatest rewards. I have two scenarios that lead me to believe that there is no bigger gamble than the one you take when entering a relationship. The first instance involves a friend stuck in between the long term relationship with a high school sweet heart and the gamble with someone that could be her soul mate. The second story involves a single woman who has no luck but still steps up to the tables for one last play.
Mr. Excitement Vs. Mr. High School Sweetheart
There is no greater comfort than laying the in arms of her high school sweetheart. Almost six years together and their lives are almost all planned out. There has never been anyone more perfect for her, until now. This comfort has been replaced with the thrill of spending time with a distant lover filled with culture, diversity, and excitement. Each day they spend together is an adventure. But, now she has to choose. Does she give up a life with her first love to be with the man she has the most fun with? The passion for the high school sweethearts wears low and there relationship is filled with nothing more than security. But, stepping away and falling into the arms of Mr. Excitement could leave her heartbroken. How does she know he won’t leave her high and dry? How does she know that this man, although fun, isn’t going to turn on her? She knows what to expect with Mr. High School Sweetheart; but, enters into a relationship with Mr. Excitement blinded. The odds are not in her favor; however, winning this gamble could lead her into a life filled with happiness.
The Jack of Hearts
Every single woman has a choice to make when being asked out, “should I or shouldn’t I?” This is usually asked internally all the way up until the point they arrive. “Should I still cancel?” BUT you never know unless you give it a try. Every date I go on I am left taking a risk. Things get more and more risky as the number of dates increase. First date… “Eh, yeah I’ll go.” Second date… “I’m not so sure.” Third date….”Maybe.” As the number of dates increases the more of the risk for a broken heart. Date after date I’ve put my money on the table never resulting in any luck. But, at one point I met the Jack of Hearts, which was need for a full house. This was a date that ended with good conversation and lasted even after the coffee shop closed. It resulted in plans for a second date, but things fell through once… and then twice… after that it just led to disappointment. Now, comes the gamble… After such a great date do I trust the excuses for the cancelled plans? If you have nothing left to lose then you only have something to gain. I’m putting my last dollar on the table and hoping to be Lady Luck.
These stories prove that sometimes dating is just as risky as stepping into the Palms, Bellagio, or MGM. You have to take the risk. Every lottery winner has won because they played the game. At times, it might end badly, but that does not mean you eventually won’t get a row of 7’s on the slots or a full house in a game of poker. Be Lady Luck and win that Jack of hearts because after all, life is a gamble.
C'est la vie 