“Don't leave the table!”
Sima Zamfir, peace be upon him, a prematurely oldened, broken genius told me this in my youth.
In one glance he saw the flaw in my fabric, years ahead. He was a sage, too late for himself. Soon, he perished.
Of course I did not understand the dark depth of the words at that time.
I should have. He was the kind of man I rarely had the privilege to meet, one with whom I would awe the presence of someone much, much more intelligent than I. Not only more experienced, but sharp and wise. He had a gift to tell in a few words truth true for a life.
"Once you leave your place at the table, like me," he explained, and I think he was talking about a universal poker table of establishment, "it is very hard to sit back again, mostly impossible"
*
Did I leave some tables! And he was so dead right. It cost me big pieces of my life and seasons of poverty. I did not do what I did not want to do and paid the price of “No!” Indeed the "us" are unforgiving with the one who leaves them for the "I". Crews don’t suffer to be dismissed by individuals; it is something like the hate for the captain who sinks his ship.
This is why I advise friends to keep building on whom they have, on what they achieved and to avoid the youthful error of trashing away endlessly what they got to start anew from scratch forever, wasting friends, achievement and competence.
*
Certainly, there is a time to break free or to break safe. When you must. No doubt, the opposite of not leaving the table is equally wise and life saving:
"'Cos ev'ry gambler knows that the secret to survival,
"Is knowin' what to throw away and knowin' what to keep.
...
"You got to know when to hold 'em; know when to fold 'em.
"Know when to walk away; know when to run.
"You don't ever count your money while you're sittin' at the table.
"There'll be time enough for countin' when the dealin' is done." [1]
I hope you listen. The singer does not need to be a philosopher to be wise.
*
Give a careful thought, with pride or enthusiasm suspended, both in check, to judge when it is time for what. For you.
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[1] Johnny Cash Lyrics "The Gambler " © www.lyricstime.com 2002-2012
http://youtu.be/7ajHezlJq-A
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