The Pool Hall

by Virginia
(Key West, FL, USA)

A dearly beloved uncle of mine lived in a senior community, which had a recreation room that included a pool table for the residents’ use.


As a former aficionado of the game of pool, and having owned his own pool hall at one time, he could usually be found there playing the game with his friends.


I was visiting him one afternoon and he took me with him to the recreation building to meet his
friends.


I sat in a chair as he walked over to a row of pool cues, which were lined up in a holder against the wall.


Suddenly he turned toward me with a quizzical look on his face. I went over to him and asked if something was wrong.


He said, “No, except that those pool cues look like they’re not straight up and down; they look wavy!”


I now know that a grid of straight lines appearing wavy is a sign of macular degeneration.


Unfortunately, at the time this fact was unknown to me and to my uncle. Our family had no history of the vision problem and so we ignored the warning.


Soon after he lost his vision, except peripherally, went to an opthamologist, but it was too late.


He could never play pool again.

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