A Card in the Back Pocket

One Christmas season, hubby saw a good sale for a pool table.  He suggested that we purchase the pool table as a duel gift for each other, because not only could we both enjoy playing together, but so could the entire family and even others.  (His altruism convinced me.)  He ordered the pool table.  When it arrived, we realized why the price was such a good deal.  It was unassembled.  Undaunted, we wrapped it in Christmas paper and placed it under the tree.  The gift tag announced, To The Family.  But you know how Christmases are.  There are so many presents that even an unwrapped package with a picture of a pool table soon lost its allure.  The pool table was forgotten and relegated to the basement where it was intended to go, anyway.  Until it was time to think of Christmas again, and the question was asked, “ What ever happened to that pool table? “  We got out the tools and put the table together.  It was beautiful.  Yes, however, it was beautifully inadequate.  The pool table filled the room—there was no room for the pool cues to shoot.  A mammoth mistake!  I didn’t need to say a word.  The horrible revelation of the gross error slowly inched over hubby’s face.  It’s too late to return it, the return policy has passed.  We had no choice but to keep it.  So we use it as another table.  Personally, I use it as a card in the back pocket.  Whatever money I spend on something foolish—it’s not as bad as the money spent on the pool table.  Whatever foolish whim I want to indulge in—it is not as foolish as the pool table.  Yes, we may not be enjoying the game of pool, but I am happy to use that pool table as a card in the back pocket.