POOL ROOM MEMORIES
Steven D. Brandlein
Indianapolis was my home until around 1976. Our home was in a great
neighborhood, just a few blocks from a college. There were barns within a few blocks
and working farms not far away. Fields of tall grass separated some of the houses on
our block. It's not that way now. I learned early on that thieves were responsible for
too much pain. The victims, of which I was one, suffered from the devious acts of thieves.
When the first bicycle I ever owned was stolen only three days after I had bought it, I
decided I was never going to hurt another be stealing from them. If I were to win
something in a fair wager, I decided that was okay. Otherwise, I would buy what I
wanted. People's trash was good source for things I cherished. Strolling down the alleys
on trash pickup day, I found many things of value to me. I remember the morning I found
seven pottery jugs that someone discarded, It took three trips to get them all home, but
I was determined. I made lamps from all of them and sold them all. I was thirteen then.
Basketball and exploring were my main activities then. Bowling was okay too, but I was
discouraged from doing that by my father. I was not allowed to go to a pool hall when
I was very young. In fact, I did not learn to play until I was about 18 years old. I caught on
rather quickly.
I learned on a large bumper pool table that a neighbor had had specially-made.
He also had a regular 4' x 8' table, so I did play other games too. It was not very long
before my friend, Terry, and I were going from town to town on Friday and Saturday
nights hitting every place we knew that had a pool table. (continued)
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