There are many lessons for living one can learn from recreational games. A very good example of this fact is the game of billiards, or pool, as most people call it.

Just as billiard balls bump into one another, we are constantly making contact with persons. Our contact with persons is more important than our preoccupation with things.

There is a big difference between our contacts with persons and that of the hard inanimate object—the billiard ball. One ball hits another and moves it hopefully toward the pocket on the table to score, leaving no marks on either ball.

We leave some kind of mark or impression on everyone we meet. We do this by our actions and possibly even more so with our reactions. This mark may be good, or it may be bad. It may be ugly if we are brutal, selfish, and thoughtless. This is when we allow ourselves “to get behind the eight ball!” Those who play pool will readily understand this predicament.

On the other hand, if we are thoughtful, encouraging, kind, and considerate, the mark we leave contributes to the other person’s development and enrichment.

Our opportunities are tremendous in terms of how much good we can achieve when we reach out consciously and unconsciously and touch the live of others,

The object of the game of pool is to touch the numbered ball on the table and send it to the side pockets. To “run the table” means every ball has been successfully touched and directed to the right pocket to win the game. As we reach and touch others in a caring way, we become winners in the game of life.

Our goal in life should be to touch as many persons as we can for good and thus enrich the lives of all persons. As we travel our path, we need to be more aware of those around us — our family member, our friends, and all other persons we encounter along the way. We have the individual freedom to use our influence — attitudes, words, and actions to make good marks on others. This kind of living truly makes life worth living!