Well, my blog is officially getting moldy. Not that I actually think anyone I know is still checking in on it, but I still felt it was important to wrap things up with one more rambly post.
Since my last post, which gave a quick glimpse into my biggest poker cash to date, I really tapered off playing, and especially blogging. I played some tournaments through October and November, without a whole bunch of success. A couple more scattered tournaments early in the new year which had a balance of success and some let downs. That's not the reason my play (and blogging) continued to taper. On the poker side of things, I just felt like I needed a bit of a break. I tend to go through waves when it comes to what I do with my time. I just go with the flow, and right now the flow doesn't feel like playing a lot of poker. There will come a day when I'll be focused on it again. Maybe in a week, maybe in a month, or maybe longer. It's more fun not knowing what's around the corner.
Following the biggest poker cash of my life, I learned a few things.
First, the old cliche 'money can't buy happiness' is very true. Money is convenient to have, sometimes. It's like an escalator beside the stairs. It always seems appealing, yet when the escalator is broken, you take the stairs and realize afterwards you are probably better off and stronger for it.
Second, I slowly learned that blogging about myself, especially my triumphs, isn't for me. After my last blog post, it started to feel like bragging. I've had some epiphanies over the last year, associated with people I've met and interacted with or had become friends with on Facebook. I started to become agitated with self-promoting and egotistic behaviors seen through social media or other interactions, and started to question if what I was doing through my blog was any different. Was posting about a big poker score fundamentally different than posting self-promoting status updates and photos on Facebook or Twitter? Are they just brags to the world in disguise? So, I decided to drop it all together, as well as deactivate social networks such as Facebook. It all started to feel like brain pollution. My real friends know who they are, and they all know how to get a hold of me. I love hearing about their triumphs, as they love hearing about mine, but why don't we do it over a coffee or a beer instead of in front of 300 other "friends" with a computer or smartphone in the way.
Lastly, I learned that anything you love is worth chasing. Sometimes what you're chasing may seem like a mirage in the middle of the desert to other people, but even if it is, when you survive the trek it's amazing what you will learn about yourself. And when you're running through a desert, sometimes it's OK to take a break.
To all or any of my faithful supporters in life, thanks again. This is the official end of my blog, but only the start of more great things to come.
Cheers
Josh
