A roll of the dice

You might be surprised to hear it, but you are a gambler. As a matter of fact, all of us are… to a certain degree.

Crossing the street is a gamble. Flying is a gamble. Marriage is a gamble… a big one – at least fifty percent of us can testify to that.

When you cross the street to meet your girlfriend, you are taking a chance. You might get hit by a car and suffer some injuries, or even worse. But you are taking the risk because you think that embracing your girlfriend is worth the gamble.
It is a calculated risk.

Some people are more audacious than some others. They know that in order to achieve, they have to go out on a limb. It takes pluck to do so. If you succeed you will be a hero; if you fail you will have to bear the sometimes-dire consequences.

In 49 BC Gaius Julius Caesar crossed the Rubicon. It was a huge gamble because in the eyes of Rome it was considered an act of insurrection and treason.
In case of failure, it meant certain death.
But he dared and succeeded.

Some others gambled and didn’t fare that well.

During the reign of Catherine II of Russia, disaffected young Yemelyan Ivanovich Pugachev (1742 –1775) led a Cossack insurrection. After some initial success he was captured, and in 1775 at the age of 33, he was beheaded and dismembered in public in Moscow.
His risky gamble didn’t pay off.

 In our daily lives we don’t have to face a Rubicon dilemma but we still need to make some decisions and for some it proves difficult.
Should I quit my job? Should I have an affair with my boss? Should I save money or travel? What should I eat? What should I wear? How should I vote?
All of these minor decisions can go both ways and sometimes have unattended consequences. Especially how you decide to vote.

Some people procrastinate… endlessly. It is not a good idea. “Procrastination is like a credit card; it’s a lot fun until you get the bill.”

It is also said that fortune favors the bold. It is frequently the case in pétanque.
If you have the guts you will shoot to get 4 points instead of settling for 1 point.
You might lose everything in the process, but you might also clinch the game with this daring shot.
This differentiates the gambler from the ordinary player.
Better fail in a blaze of glory than coast to a colorless win.

There’s a (slight) difference by the way between a gamble and a calculated risk.
Risking $100 at the roulette table is a gamble. Jumping in parachute is a (well-prepared) calculated risk.

If you are perpetually unsure of what to do, I recommend reading the entrails of a chicken to make up your mind.
It has never failed me yet.

Alain