If you meet Miss Awesome, go all in

One of my first tastes of country music was when my dad blared Kenny Rogers’ “The Gambler” on his turntable record player.

In the famous ditty that uses a card game as a metaphor for how to find contentment in life, Rogers croons: “You got to know when to hold ‘em, know when to fold 'em, know when to walk away, know when to run.”

However, he doesn’t mention the gutsy move of going all in; laying all your money and poker acumen on the line in one hand. And that’s too bad. Every so often, I think we need to slide all our chips to the center of the table. Even if we fail, and especially if we fail, it’s a worthwhile endeavor.

And, as I learned recently, the prime time to apply the “all in” mindset is when you’re bowled over by an unexpected romantic prospect.

As I’ve aged, the love-at-first-sight, Cupid’s-arrow-is-out-there view of romance (see Colin Firth’s storyline in “Love Actually”) has been slowly replaced by my increasing belief that the dating world is an absurd version of the game “Telephone.” Misinterpretations run rampant. Finding the “same page” is a frustratingly elusive exercise.

With all that built-up cynicism, what can possibly thaw a heart hardened by the ghosts of romances past?

My answer: Upon meeting someone who arrests your attention and enters a daydream or two, act on it.

Do it. Put yourself out there, without the foggiest idea of how your interest feels. Stop waiting for all the stars to align. Life is not a Disney movie. If you’re like me, and naysaying voices constantly rattle around in your mind, intent on dissuading you, tell them to shut up.

I channeled this sentiment recently and was shot down. She was fun, sunshiney, with my kind of substance. And extremely awesome. The timing, however, was not.

But I tried. As hard as I could. I brought out the big guns, in all their awkward glory. And I’m very glad I did. 100% worth the initial sinking feeling of getting handed the “friend card.”

Exposing yourself to rejection is hard to do. Pride is probably the hardest thing to gamble away. But even more difficult is living with that unfinished feeling in your gut and ignoring the hunch that she might be “The One.”

So get over yourself and your insecurities. Go all in once in a while. Win or lose – and more often than not you’ll lose – you might learn a thing or two about yourself.

When did St. Patrick’s Day go viral?

I received two mass text messages yesterday wishing me a “Happy St. Patrick’s Day.” I barely get that many texts on my birthday.

My point?

Call me a party pooper or a curmudgeon, but those mass texts crystallized for me the fact that St. Patrick’s Day has entered the “Overly hyped quasi-holiday” realm. Valentine’s Day now has company.

Did I have a few Guinesses in honor of my Great Grandmother Ryan, who hailed from Cork, Ireland? You betcha.

But I feel as though the whole month of March has been colored green. In Ireland, March 17 is actually a holy day of obligation, meaning Catholics are strongly encouraged to attend church. I doubt that they’re swigging green Bud Light in the pews.

Meanwhile, people on this side of the pond do it a little differently. I saw a few people at the local Irish pub last night wearing a shirt saying, “Drink until you’re Irish.” That’s one way to pay homage.

Will the Irish-for-a-day-craze ever die down? Not a chance. And if I were Hallmark or a beer company, I’d milk March 17 for all it’s worth, too. It’s the capitalistic way.

But that doesn’t mean I have to like it.

Calvin Coolidge doesn't belong in the card game "Kings"

If someone drew the “categories” card during a game of “Kings” and chose to go with the popular “Obscure U.S. Presidents” theme, I must admit that Calvin Coolidge would always be on the tip of my tongue. After all, they called him “Silent Cal.”

But I recently stumbled upon a speech that Coolidge gave which will stop me from dropping his name during the next “Kings” game. I’ll use Chester Arthur instead. What a do-nothing.

Before I gush about Mr. Coolidge, indulge me in a swim to the deep end for a bit.

I’ve learned a few things in my 26 years. Among them is this: If you work really hard and are kind to people, good things happen. Period. Natural talent, IQ level and the school on your diploma are all secondary to that. And these “good things” may not come in the romanticized form you had envisioned when you were watching butterflies flutter during a sunset, but when does everything go as planned?

Our 30th President understood that and said it much more cogently than I ever could.

A search on the Web for when and where Mr. Coolidge uttered these words yields nothing definitive, but those details hardly matter.

What matters is how true these words will always be. And you can only appreciate them after you’ve felt the unsuspecting upper cuts and sneaky left hooks that life throws at you.

Yep, Coolidge would have been a good boxer. Here's why:

“Nothing in the world can take the place of persistence. Talent will not; the world is full of unsuccessful men with talent. Genius will not; unrewarded genius is almost a proverb. Education will not; the world is full of educated derelicts. Persistence and determination alone are omnipotent. The slogan ‘Press on’ has solved and always will solve the problems of the human race.”

It's like the "Rocky" soundtrack for the eyes, isn't it?