Murph's Story
I haven't always been a hustler. Once upon a time, I was an aspiring architecture student. I wasn't going to be the next Wright or Pei, I just wanted a career in the air conditioned side of the construction biz. I had a good home life as a kid, middle class and a great family. If not for a few bad choices, I might have ended up with a normal life, a loving wife, and a couple of great kids. Unfortunately, this was not to be.
When I was in college, I fell for this knockout blonde in my psych class. She had me mesmerized from the instant I laid eyes on her. Like a siren, she was a dangerous beauty. No, it wasn't her song, it was her eyes. One look into her big brown eyes was enough to disorient a man so that he'd bring about his own ruin without a care.....or maybe it was just me. It's sometimes amazing, the deeds a man will do to get what he wants.
To say that meeting Leah McRay changed my life would be a massive understatement. I now know what Catullus meant when he said “Odi et amo”, I hate and I love…. And I hate that I love. To this day, I can’t get that girl out of my head. She remains the most remarkable woman I’ve ever met. Funny, passionate, extremely intelligent, loving and the most beautiful girl I‘d ever laid eyes on. Now I realize that meeting her might’ve been the worst thing that ever happened to me. She showed me all of the joys that life contains, and also showed me just how meaningless my life was before her, and since she left......
While some of the worst times of my life have her written all over them, so do most of the best. When she first left me, I would’ve given anything for one more day. Eventually I realized that what I really, desperately longed for was never coming back. I will never have that feeling of security ever again. The scent of her perfume smells like home, but it’s a home that I can never return to. Home isn’t a physical place, it’s an idea.
Ever since her, I’ve been determined never to rely on anyone ever again. My life to this point is an exercise in futility. Missed opportunity and bad decisions haunt my past. Beat down after beat down, the hits just keep on coming. D’Arcy always makes me feel like I'm worthwhile, though. Been a while since anyone's made me feel like that. I guess that's why I keep coming back to this bar......day after day. I’ve been coming to this bar for years, through two ownerships, three remodels and the gorgeous, ever optimistic D’Arcy.
I've found my station in life. I'm a professional poker player. Sure, everyone knows what they've seen on TV. The flashy guys and girls who make and lose millions on the turn of a card, have the catchy nicknames and have taken a game that was once looked down upon and pushed to the backrooms and have made it a mainstream event. But those dimly lit, seedy backrooms still exist. Hell, they're my office. For every Pro that you know from the televised tournaments, there are thousands of us making a living playing cards that you've never heard of. We don't make millions, but we make enough to eat and keep a roof over our heads.... most of the time.
© 2011
When I was in college, I fell for this knockout blonde in my psych class. She had me mesmerized from the instant I laid eyes on her. Like a siren, she was a dangerous beauty. No, it wasn't her song, it was her eyes. One look into her big brown eyes was enough to disorient a man so that he'd bring about his own ruin without a care.....or maybe it was just me. It's sometimes amazing, the deeds a man will do to get what he wants.
To say that meeting Leah McRay changed my life would be a massive understatement. I now know what Catullus meant when he said “Odi et amo”, I hate and I love…. And I hate that I love. To this day, I can’t get that girl out of my head. She remains the most remarkable woman I’ve ever met. Funny, passionate, extremely intelligent, loving and the most beautiful girl I‘d ever laid eyes on. Now I realize that meeting her might’ve been the worst thing that ever happened to me. She showed me all of the joys that life contains, and also showed me just how meaningless my life was before her, and since she left......
While some of the worst times of my life have her written all over them, so do most of the best. When she first left me, I would’ve given anything for one more day. Eventually I realized that what I really, desperately longed for was never coming back. I will never have that feeling of security ever again. The scent of her perfume smells like home, but it’s a home that I can never return to. Home isn’t a physical place, it’s an idea.
Ever since her, I’ve been determined never to rely on anyone ever again. My life to this point is an exercise in futility. Missed opportunity and bad decisions haunt my past. Beat down after beat down, the hits just keep on coming. D’Arcy always makes me feel like I'm worthwhile, though. Been a while since anyone's made me feel like that. I guess that's why I keep coming back to this bar......day after day. I’ve been coming to this bar for years, through two ownerships, three remodels and the gorgeous, ever optimistic D’Arcy.
I've found my station in life. I'm a professional poker player. Sure, everyone knows what they've seen on TV. The flashy guys and girls who make and lose millions on the turn of a card, have the catchy nicknames and have taken a game that was once looked down upon and pushed to the backrooms and have made it a mainstream event. But those dimly lit, seedy backrooms still exist. Hell, they're my office. For every Pro that you know from the televised tournaments, there are thousands of us making a living playing cards that you've never heard of. We don't make millions, but we make enough to eat and keep a roof over our heads.... most of the time.
© 2011