Okay, yesterday my allergies and sinuses went nuts. I was stuffed up, had a scratchy throat and ears and pretty much felt horrible. So the thing I was planning to do for the blog didn’t happen and I stayed home and took my temperature about 57 times while Googling “Covid 19 symptoms.”
I got some Claritin last night, but I had an early doctor appointment this morning, so today I’ve got a whole lot of nothing. But, as you’ll see below, sometimes nothing can be a real cool hand.
I’ve always loved the movie, “Cool Hand Luke,” starring Paul Newman as Luke. I first saw the movie when I was in grade school and have watched it hundreds of times since.
Sometime when I was in high school, I found out that the movie was based on a novel of the same name. It was written by a guy who had actually done time on a chain gang and his name was Donn Pearce. As the case usually is, the book was even better than the movie and below is what I consider to be some of the finest writing ever.
I keep it framed on my kitchen wall and look at it every day, here it is:
And here’s the section that I love:
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Everyone else had thrown in his hand except Bullshit Bill who was holding a pair of aces. But when Luke raised the last bet a dollar he refused to call the raise. After dragging in the nickels, dimes and quarters, Luke showed his hand to Bullshit Bill. He had a pair of nothing.
Smiling, he murmured softly, “Just remember man, wherever young and whatever you do, always play a real cool hand.”
And from that night on, he always answered to the name of Cool Hand Luke.
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So the moral here is that sometimes nothing can be a real cool hand.
Okay, I’ve got to go take my allergy medicine and take my temperature for the 179th time. Hopefully I’ll see you all tomorrow.
Related Post: MBIP Saturday Movie Matinee—Cool Hand Luke.