• There's a man in town, he's usually at the bar, that has more stories to be told than any other man I've ever known. He'll tell his stories to anyone who asks him to, but most avoid him because of the smell. But I still listen to the stories he tells, the ones so filled with his own mistakes. I learned from him the meanings of hard work, friendship, and even some glimpses on life. A gambler he was, out in Las Vegas, but not a good one as you might bet. He lost and he lost, never could he win. He paid in more than just money, and several times it was nearly his own life. He gave up family and friends, food, and security just so he could put his bets in. He'd play any gambling game against any gambler he found, no matter the skill or wager. He lost everything he had and was left broken, but carried something more precious away. When he came to our town some years ago he brought that precious thing with him. It was what he learned, now withered and untrusted, and tried to teach it to us.