As a child, Saturday mornings were a special time for me. My father was a self employed owner/operator of a small printing company in the downtown area of my community. Shortly after sunrise every Saturday morning, my father would take me to work with him.

The highlight of this weekly ritual was breakfast. He would take me to "The Arcade". The Arcade is a small 'hole-in-the-wall' grill and sandwich shop that was located just around the corner from his business.

The most exciting part of this adventure for me was that The Arcade was for men only. Women did not go inside. They came to the pick up window on the outside to place orders. Being a part of a 'men only' event was quite impressive to me as a young child. I also enjoyed the bar stools. I felt 'big' when I got to sit on the bar stool next to my dad and order my sandwich and soda.

In the rear area of The Arcade, there were four antique billiards tables. I enjoyed the sound of the colliding balls with each shot that was made. The men who played were quite boisterous sometimes. It wasn't until many years later that I realized the games were for money and there was quite a bit of cash moving around back there.

As I got older, I learned how to play pool and became quite good at it. I was unable to play in The Arcade because there was a sign on the wall that said you must be 16 years old to play. This didn't discourage me too much. I knew my day would arrive.

On my 16th birthday, I arrived at The Arcade with my cue in hand ready to play. I had a few dollars in my pocket and decided that I would join in on the gambling. My luck was good and I pocketed over $200 that afternoon playing 9-ball. My mission was complete. I decided that I would do this every Saturday.

The following week when I arrived to play the game, the cook behind the bar pointed to the sign on the wall and asked me how old I was. I proudly told him I was 16. He pointed to the newly modified sign that read "You must be 18 to play." I understood. I ordered my sandwich and soda and enjoyed the sounds coming from the back of the room.

This submission has been viewed 2486 times.