In the constant war of attrition that is pop culture, Tom Cruise has become what feels like the last movie star standing the dude found on a life raft, surrounded by the emaciated corpses of his fellow sailors who succumbed to the exposure and the thirst, with a scraggly beard and lips so sunburned they're nearly swollen shut, but still able to grin toothily at his rescuers.
By VIC MARTINEZ
May 3, 2021 at 2:44 PM
The author playing 8-Ball at the Berkeley Heights pool table.
The author playing 8-Ball at the Berkeley Heights pool table.
Credits: Photo courtesy of the VFW Rec Room staff.
Ad
May 3, 2021 at 2:44 PM
A business associate told me upon learning of our common interest in the game of pocket billiards or pool that having proficiency in the game of pool is a sign of a misspent youth. Playing pool meant time spent inside pool halls or recreation halls trying to master a game of sinking multi-colored balls with a long skinny stick in one of six pockets on rectangular tables covered by usually green cloth instead of doing homework, reading books, or preparing for an exam. I agreed with him and we proceeded to share stories of wins, losses, embarrassments, triumphs, lessons learned and interesting people met along the way while wasting time playing pool.