Life's a Game and We're All Gamblers

Dear Small Black Notebook,

Life is the existence of anything that can reproduce such as human beings and animals. Speaking in regards to the human being aspect of life, life is the ability to experience reality by interacting with the environment and others authentically. Life is an individual being able to change their attitude when faced with difficult circumstances that cannot be changed. Most importantly, life is about giving something back to the world through self-expression and creativity. Yes, life might be a game and us humans may be considered the gamblers but it’s about how you play the cards that you were dealt at the time of birth. Throughout life we all go through phases – newborn, pre-teen, teenager, adult, and hopefully we get to see the elderly days. Through each phase that we go through, we are dealt a different set of cards to cope with each phase. You hear a lot of the time that life is what you make it, that is indeed true. What you put out into the universe expect that to be reciprocated back towards you. Meaning, if you put good out there in the world, you’ll reap the benefits of the fruits you sowed. However, if you put out bad energy, expect that negative energy to be reciprocated back towards you. Even with those that do good, bad things happens to everyone, it’s how you choose to let it affect you and how you move throughout life is what really matters. Life overall, is a beautiful thing that every human being dead or alive has been blessed to see. Life is the legacy you choose to leave behind.

While life’s a game and we’re all gamblers, not every gambler knows when to quit or to keep going. Life is like a game of Russian Roulette – taking a chance on life. You never know when the bullet would appear, so you take a chance. Here I am in a game of Russian Roulette, taking a chance on my life. Gun loaded, give it a turn, pull the trigger… NOTHING! I’m still here with the ability to make a difference in the lives of others around me. It’s been times where my life could’ve ended due to car accidents especially, however I’m still here. Still here trying to figure this thing called life out, in the sense of wanting to do more but always getting knocked back ten steps while trying to take one step forward day by day. Every day I wake up is a blessing, a blessing to be better than I was the day before. Each day I wake up thinking of more ways to give back to others so that they have a meaning of life, a purpose to keep going and not give up.

I consider myself the “Jack of all trades, master of none,” due to me being able to dabble between the creative ideas that runs through my mind to find ways to pursue my dreams, I seek endless possibilities. So, little black notebook you asking me what I would do if I encountered $20,000? It’s a lot that I could do with $20,000 and so could others that are doing this challenge like myself to stand a chance. However, I can only speak for myself in the aspect of what I would do if I had $20,000. Living in society where things that are not ok are ok is a struggle itself. Trying to make a living off minimum wage, working long hours to make ends meet, every week or every other week bills due, and all I’m thinking is when will I ever catch a break. My brain wonders of various ways to get money such as playing the lottery, working a 9-5 job, Instacart, Postmates, Uber, Lyft, you name it anything that puts extra money in my pockets just to handle personal responsibilities to get by. But my dreams, my dreams are way bigger than reality is and one day my dreams will be my reality. Still wondering what I would do if I had $20,000? To be completely honest, I would invest in $20,000, by starting a daycare or non-profit organization that allows me to give back to those that are less fortunate. Creating webinars or workshops that allows me to interact with people of all ages.

It’s been my passion to work with kids since I was little, but to realize that not just children, but everyone could benefit from the knowledge and wisdom that I can offer in the since of helping those that are less fortunate to live a better life by being encouraging and giving back any way that I can. I would love to have a school that provides children the right essentials needed to maneuver throughout life such as – teaching them different resume formats for different jobs, the importance of taxes and why filing them is important, sign language, the importance of mental health, things that were in education that later got taken out such as home economics, wood workshop classes, and other things that interests children and their ability to learn. With $20,000 it would be a start for creating a school system that will outshine the system that’s established already to ensure that children are the voices of the future.

Because life’s a game and we’re all gamblers, I decided that I wanted to take a trip to Vegas, you know the famous “Sin City”, of the phrase “what happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas,” a place that’s known to attract gamblers. Here I stand at the Blackjack table, anxious and excited to play. The dealer deals me cards, and I have a Jack of Spades and the other card is unknown. Before I flip it over, I tell the dealer that I want to bet double my bet from $5,000 to $10,000 with confidence that when I flip the other card over, I would have 21 and win double the amount. Next to me was a random person who decides to blurt out “that’s not smart you know.” I responded to them saying “how about I keep my bet, as well as make a deal with you since you feel as though I’m making the wrong decision.” Their response was “let’s hear it.” I proceeded with my offer by saying “I bet you an additional $5,000 that I made the right decision as well as the opportunity to change the lives of a black community that’s struggling as we speak by partnering up with you and creating a school that gives children hope that their dreams can become reality and really acting on my words providing children all over the world the best education there is, better than the education I had growing up.” They agreed with the bet by shaking my hand. Little did I know I had made a bet with someone who would eventually become my life-long business partner as well as my significant other. With my attention focused on the game as I prepare to flip my card over, everyone eyes were on me and the moment I flipped the card over, my life had changed forever. With the Jack of Spades faced up,

I flipped my second card, and it was the Ace of Spades – 21. I had doubled my winnings as well as gained a business partner to later find out that I was the lucky player of the night due to it being a JACKPOT prize of $20,000 on the line at the time of me playing, in which I had no idea. The dealer told me it was my lucky night, and I couldn’t believe it. I couldn’t believe that I drove from Atlanta, Georgia all the way to Las Vegas, Nevada for my 30th birthday to gamble with only $500 to my name to end up winning a grand total of $35,000. At that very moment, my life changed and the lives of those around me changed as well. I left Vegas and landed a guaranteed business that changed the education system forever. Society started to value things differently and made things better for the United States to actually be UNITED as one. By the age of 31, my education business was a success and I started to see my dreams become my reality.