More Poolosophy

By Nick Prinsloo

Feeling overcome by a philosophical mood, I decided to give you an installment of Poolosophy. So, if you want to learn more about life and pool, get out your reading glasses, put on your thinking caps, put tongue firmly in cheek, but keep a notepad handy. Those of you who suffer from ADD (Attention Deficit Disorder) and/or TFFAS (Television and Fast Food Addiction Syndrome) might want to bookmark this to read after watching Friends. Ready? Here we go:

You might not know this, but life itself was modeled after the game of billiards. Yep, long before our Mother Earth was formed out of the chaos of this universe, the gods were playing pool, using planets as balls and black holes as pockets. They might not have been playing nine ball, maybe just a very early version of straight pool, but the scores ran high and money changed hands as frequently as White Dwarfs turned into Red Giants.

In fact, billiards was not the only game they were playing, but we're not interested in golf, football and NASCAR racing right now. The fact is, the very existence of this universe, and more specifically, life as we know it, is based on exactly those mechanics which constitute a game.

This universe consists of energy, and the exchange thereof. Interacting particles (interacting pool balls?). Motion. Life. No energy, no motion, no life. In order for there to be energy, we need entities of opposite charge. Positive and Negative. Good and Evil. Yin and Yang. Whatever. Opponents on the cosmic nine-footer.

It is this interaction between these opposing entities which causes life to, well, um... happen. It makes this planet go 'round, and it makes you get out of bed to deliver a hard day's work, and then play a few racks of pool. For those of us who work.

Other mechanics and characteristics that make up a game, are challenges. Barriers. Obstacles. How do I get this here colored sphere into that there hole? How do I get this here colored sphere into that there hole every time? How do I beat Johnny Archer next time I meet him in a tournament? How do I get out of bed in order to get to work on time? Can I still be out of bed in time for work if I play pool well into the small hours of the morning the night before? Can I pay my rent if I'm not?

Another major characteristic of games, is that it has to have boundaries. Perimeters. Confines. Of course there must be an end goal as well, or else there would be no reason to play, would there? But let's stick to challenges and boundaries for now, since the jury is still out on what the actual end goal of life really is.

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