Am I you, when you were me, way back when?
Todays episode of sportsbook stories from the 90's is to bought to you by a very good friend of us all and outstanding Las vegas radio show host John Kelly. John and I go back a long way and he has has always been a big supporter of my talents. I had not seen nor talked to him in several years and after a few minutes of catching up, he says once again, I have the gift of the gab and I should be doing radio. And you can now add that he thinks, as well as many others, that this thread should become a book. However what sparks this post tonite is the wonderful shout out he gave on the radio during the Money Talks Invitational show Friday when he told everyone at the end of it that I used to work at the Old Stardust. He does not know it, but its a comment that made me look/think about my past in a whole new way and it goes something like this...
Old Stardust??? In my mind the place never closed. It was a shock to hear it.
Why would this be a shock? Because when I look around, all the people who worked there are all still around, there all about my age, (42) and we didn't go anywhere. Seemingly nothing has changed in that regard. The hotel is gone, but the modern day Stardust fraternity is alive and well. So, hence, old didn't sound right at the time.
But old and gone it is. It made me feel like a part of history. A part of something no longer there, something from another time and place that people may want to hear stories about. I am not so sure. Stories that the many on the Las Vegas strip and beyond that I am aware I speak for whom have read this thread could tell themselves. If they wanted to. Which they dont. And I know it will never change. I am the only one willing to do any talking or story telling at all.
Which means if any of the stories of the time period and the collective stories that bring us to this point and time are ever going to get out to the greater general public....Its on me to do it???
Since when did I become the keeper of the flame and grand story teller?
Telling these stories in fourmdom to people whom deeply care about it all is one thing. The outside public is another. If JK gets his way,( he most likely wiil) it will happen. He knows the time has come for them to be told, if there ever going to be told, and he knows I am the one to do it and then some.
There is a sense of responsiblity and gravitis that goes along with that thought and it hit me square when I was at hooters listening to the show.
Once upon a time I was in my 20's chasing and trying to be like guys in there 40's, asking them to tell me stories and teach me the tricks of the trade along the way. Now I am in my 40's and find myself wondering if I am them now,when they were me then, way back when.
Days when youngters like me ran all over the strip trying to be wise guys like them, not having a clue or care at the time about the cold hard truths of living this life and the deep understandings of how it all works. Never thinking for a minute that one day things may come around full circle and you find that its yourself people are asking to hear stories from and teach certain tricks of the trade to.
In the end the gravitis of it all hit me heavily because I do know if I dont talk or tell any stories, no one else will.
All of this hit me at the same time after JK's shout out to me. I wanted to share these different emotions with everyone here because all of you in fourmdom are as much a part of these stories as anyone. Your great support as well as respect for me is one of the big reasons these stories we have right now were even written.
Todays episode of sportsbook stories from the 90's is to bought to you by a very good friend of us all and outstanding Las vegas radio show host John Kelly. John and I go back a long way and he has has always been a big supporter of my talents. I had not seen nor talked to him in several years and after a few minutes of catching up, he says once again, I have the gift of the gab and I should be doing radio. And you can now add that he thinks, as well as many others, that this thread should become a book. However what sparks this post tonite is the wonderful shout out he gave on the radio during the Money Talks Invitational show Friday when he told everyone at the end of it that I used to work at the Old Stardust. He does not know it, but its a comment that made me look/think about my past in a whole new way and it goes something like this...
Old Stardust??? In my mind the place never closed. It was a shock to hear it.
Why would this be a shock? Because when I look around, all the people who worked there are all still around, there all about my age, (42) and we didn't go anywhere. Seemingly nothing has changed in that regard. The hotel is gone, but the modern day Stardust fraternity is alive and well. So, hence, old didn't sound right at the time.
But old and gone it is. It made me feel like a part of history. A part of something no longer there, something from another time and place that people may want to hear stories about. I am not so sure. Stories that the many on the Las Vegas strip and beyond that I am aware I speak for whom have read this thread could tell themselves. If they wanted to. Which they dont. And I know it will never change. I am the only one willing to do any talking or story telling at all.
Which means if any of the stories of the time period and the collective stories that bring us to this point and time are ever going to get out to the greater general public....Its on me to do it???
Since when did I become the keeper of the flame and grand story teller?
Telling these stories in fourmdom to people whom deeply care about it all is one thing. The outside public is another. If JK gets his way,( he most likely wiil) it will happen. He knows the time has come for them to be told, if there ever going to be told, and he knows I am the one to do it and then some.
There is a sense of responsiblity and gravitis that goes along with that thought and it hit me square when I was at hooters listening to the show.
Once upon a time I was in my 20's chasing and trying to be like guys in there 40's, asking them to tell me stories and teach me the tricks of the trade along the way. Now I am in my 40's and find myself wondering if I am them now,when they were me then, way back when.
Days when youngters like me ran all over the strip trying to be wise guys like them, not having a clue or care at the time about the cold hard truths of living this life and the deep understandings of how it all works. Never thinking for a minute that one day things may come around full circle and you find that its yourself people are asking to hear stories from and teach certain tricks of the trade to.
In the end the gravitis of it all hit me heavily because I do know if I dont talk or tell any stories, no one else will.
All of this hit me at the same time after JK's shout out to me. I wanted to share these different emotions with everyone here because all of you in fourmdom are as much a part of these stories as anyone. Your great support as well as respect for me is one of the big reasons these stories we have right now were even written.
