"Every gambler knows
That the secret to survivin'
Is knowin' what to throw away
And knowin' what to keep.
'Cause every hand's a winner
And every hand's a loser
And the best that you can hope for is to die in your sleep."
- Kenny Rogers, The Gambler
Kenny Rogers walked away from the table last night.
He was in the Country Music Hall of Fame, won too many awards to list, and is credited for making country music popular to the general public.
I didn't know this until this morning, but he was one of 7 kids, and was raised in public housing. So when I heard of his death, the first line that came to mind was that "the best that you can hope for is to die in your sleep."
And I was reflecting on the lyrics to The Gambler*, and thinking about his youth, and his life, and his death, well, it seems like he did it alright.
Some have been saying that he broke even (you know, from the song), but I think he won. He walked away from the table with his family and loved ones around him, and so, there we go, he won.
Here's to you, Kenny. ❤️
* The Gambler, by the way, was written by Don Schlitz
