Last week, I went to Tunica, Miss. I like to think of it as the “Vegas of the South.” I went there to attend a board meeting of the Arkansas Criminal Defense Attorneys and to have a good dinner. I figured I would gamble a little bit while I was there. In the end, I only planned on being there for about 25 hours. I figured I couldn’t get in too much trouble in that short of time.
I rolled into the casino parking lot at 6 p.m. straight up, the same time the meeting was scheduled to start. I went straight to the meeting and checked into my room afterward. There was very little time to relax before dinner, so I put off making my first bet for a while. I went to the Chicago Steakhouse and ordered a feast. It was not until I finished my appetizer of oysters that I made my first bet.
I like the idea of excusing myself to the bathroom and then hitting it big at the tables on the way back. It makes a good story for dinner. After using the facilities, I made my way to the closest roulette table and made my bet. I put $100 on black. I figured I would double my money before dinner and then play on the winnings afterward. I put the money down and waited. Then, I became distracted and started to watch another table. I looked back and thought I had missed the roll of the ball and saw it was nested in a red spot. I couldn’t believe that I lost so quickly and did not even get to see it happen. I actually started to walk away when I realized that I had misinterpreted what I was seeing and noticed my money was still on black. It is hard to explain how this could happen after only one beer, but when I realized my mistake, it felt like I was getting another chance.
The “second” roll was not any better, as it fell smoothly into a red spot without any hesitation. Just like that, my money was gone in a flash. I dejectedly made my way back to the restaurant. As soon as I returned, my bone-in ribeye was served and all was good. The friends and food were outstanding, and the sting of the loss was soon forgotten.
I did not bet again while I was there, as I just did not feel lucky. After dinner, I had a few cocktails with some friends at the bar while the band played right behind the bartenders. Between sets there was college basketball on a huge screen. I went to bed a little after my usual bed time and then left early the next morning to visit a client in a prison in East Arkansas.
When I got to my car in the casino parking lot, I realized I’d put my car keys in my shaving kit the night before and had to dig them out from my suit case. When I opened the shaving kit, I immediately noticed my cell phone right on top. Apparently, I had put my phone in there when I was packing up my room. If I hadn’t left my keys in the shaving kit, I can only speculate as to how long it would have taken me to find my phone once realizing that I didn’t have it.
I went to the prison, had a good visit, and headed straight for Little Rock. I stopped in Lonoke, about 30 minutes east of Little Rock, for gas. Before I got out of the car, I gathered up a bunch of trash from my car and threw it away in the can next to the pump. I began the process of filling up and realized that I couldn’t find my wallet. I replayed my morning and remembered that I had stopped earlier to get a drink and had it then. I was sure that I had put in back in my pocket and that it had made it to the car. I tore the car apart and could not find it. Then, I convinced myself I had thrown the wallet in the trash after I cleaned out my car. Unfortunately, I was familiar with that scenario, as I’ve done it before. I immediately began digging in the trash. I went through the half full bag twice without any luck. At that moment, a jailer from the Lonoke County Jail (which is just down the street) drove up and was wondering what in the world I was doing digging through the trash. I told him, and he drove away with a bit of a smile on his face. Then it dawned on me. I bought the earlier drink before I went to the prison, and had put the wallet in my glove box before I went in for my visit.
I can’t explain the relief that I felt finding my wallet. Losing my wallet is a huge fear for me. I’ve done it before, and I didn’t want to go through the process of replacing everything again. That’s all I could think of as I feverishly dug through the trash. Even the attendant at the store asked me what I was doing when I went inside. She commented that she knew exactly how I felt, as she had recently lost her wallet.
As I drove the last 30 minutes to Little Rock, I pondered the prior 24 hours: The lost bet, the feast, the fellowship, finding the cell phone before it was lost, a good visit with a client, and not losing my wallet on the way home. I considered what answer I would give if someone asked how I did while I was in Tunica. As I rolled into Little Rock, I decided that my answer would be that I did pretty well.
Sometimes, when we consider life and how we’re doing, we focus on how many “good” things are happening and forget about how many others could go wrong. Sometimes, understanding just how bad things could really be is a cause to rejoice. My trip was not as dramatic as that, but it’s something good to remember, especially for those of us way up in the CHEAP SEATS!
Bill James is a co-founder of the James Law Firm with offices in Little Rock, Conway and Fayetteville, Arkansas. His primary area of practice is criminal defense. He can be contacted at Bill@JamesFirm.com