The Hancock-Henderson Quill, Inc.
(2-19-2013)
Nothing warms up a cold winter’s night more than a hot hand of cards with friends and family. Whether it is playing Bridge with my family, “500” with Mark’s or Smear with friends, playing cards has been a great teaching tool for life.
I used cards to teach the kids their numbers and practice memory skills. No one could beat Katie at the memory game. They learned how to count tricks and then advanced to counting cards to figure out the odds of winning. These are skills which Michael uses today to play Black Jack.
Playing cards can also be therapeutic. My folks each have their own deck of cards sitting on the kitchen table. Every day they play solitaire. The silence is broken by the smooth sound of shuffling cards between games or punctuated with a rapping knock on the wooden table signifying a successful run of cards from top to bottom. The game helps my folks to keep their minds sharp and fingers nimble as they move cards around from column to column.
In college we played cards as a stress reliever during finals week. There were always a couple of Eucker tournaments going on in the house basement after meals and before we hit the books again. Playing cards just seemed to be as much a part of the college experience as attending classes. We would play with reckless abandonment and tried to “shoot the moon” with maybe just enough of the right cards to pull it out. We were willing to try and make the best of hand that we were dealt.
This past Sunday the guest speaker at the MN Gopher Dairy Club banquet told the audience we each must learn how to play the hand in life we have been dealt. It may not always look like a sure winner in the beginning, but what counts is how you play the game in the end.
President and CEO of Accelerated Genetics, Joel Groskreutz shared with GDC members the hand he had been dealt in life and how he could have never imagined where it would have taken him over the years. Joel and Mark were on the state FFA officer team together in the late 70’s. Both had visions of dairy farming after they completed their education at the U of MN in Waseca. While Joel was continuing his education at SDSU, he and Brenda were called home to take over a family member’s farm after he unexpectedly died. They made a go of it, but housing conditions were less than ideal. They eventually joined his dad and brothers to make a go of farming together. After a few years, health issues forced Joel to find a career that didn’t involve standing on concrete in the parlor every day. He was hired by Accelerated Genetics and worked his way up from the barns to the head office with a couple of other career changes along the way.
Joel shared that one’s altitude in life is only hindered by one’s attitude and you have to play the hand you are dealt. His mentor in life is his father. As the oldest in his family, his dad was forced to come home to help with the farm after he completed 8th grade. His dad went on to watch his younger brothers all continue their education and advance in their selected careers all the while he stayed at home raising a family and running the family farm. Joel says his dad never complained nor held a grudge against his brothers for the opportunities they received. He played the hand he was dealt with grace, thankfulness and peace. He in turned strived to see that his own children continued their educations and to play the hand they were dealt. His positive attitude helped him to soar and achieve.
One of my favorite old country songs is spoken by Tex Ritter over a strumming guitar. It is called the Deck of Cards. A soldier explains to his commander how a deck of cards serves as his Bible, prayer book and calendar all within 52 cards. The number of spots on a deck of cards is 365, the number of days in a year. There are 52 cards, the number of weeks in a year. There are 4 suits, the number of weeks in a month and 12 picture cards, the number of months in a year. The Ace reminds him there is but one God. The “Deuce” reminds him the Bible is divided into two parts, the old and new testaments. When he sees the “Six” it reminds him God made heaven and earth in six days and rested on the “Seventh”. Each card is tied to a Bible story or person. It is hard not to smile while I’m reminded of each card’s significance as I deal out a hand of cards.
We seem have an endless supply of cards around the house. Grandma and Grandpa bring the kids used decks from the casino. Of course not all of our decks are complete. Those decks become cards for the State Fair encampment when the kids play Quiche on the show box. Very rarely do those cards ever survive the five days of endless hands of playing. The kids even have a pack of cards stashed away in their duffle bags or backpacks as they travel to ballgames and events because a game of cards and new friends are just a shuffle away. Everyone’s favorite deck of cards was probably the bull and bull dam cards from Select Sires that came out several years ago. We had so much fun playing with those cards as we discovered different bull and cow combinations… Walkway Chief Mark, Elevation, Durham to name a few.
Playing cards is a great way to discover life when we are younger, meet new friends when we’re alone or stay sharp are we get older. Learning to play the hand you are dealt is an adventure and a blessing. Regardless of first impressions, your hand might be more of a winner than you think if you have the right attitude.
Play the hand that you are dealt…it might turn out to be more of a winner than you