ODE TO BILLIE JOE
September 9, 2021 - By Joy Reed Belt
Karl Brenner, "Above Lemon Lake," Oil on Canvas, 14 x 18 in.
It was in the early 1970’s that I decided to gamble. Seriously gamble. At the suggestion and encouragement of a fellow Instructor at Tulsa Junior College, I applied for a summer job dealing Blackjack at Harrah’s Casino in Lake Tahoe. Growing up I didn't play cards, not even Old Maids, because, in my family of origin, gambling was considered a sin. So my decision to spend the summer being a card dealer meant that not only must I learn the house’s way of counting to 21 and acquire card handling skills, It meant I would also need a “good story” so as not to get any grief from my parents about my decision...
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