More than just a game
By Becky Barclay
Published in News on November 7, 2017 4:35 PM
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Jim Caldwell racks up the billiard balls as the Tuesday tournament gets under way. The winner gets bragging rights and a $5 gift card. In addition to having fun playing the game, participants also like the camaraderie they find there.
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News-Argus/BECKY BARCLAY
Rafael Morales concentrates as he lines up a shot during tournament day.
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News-Argus/BECKY BARCLAY
During the Tuesday morning billiards tournament, Ronnie Artis carefully prepares to put a striped ball in the pool table pocket.
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News-Argus/BECKY BARCLAY
Mary Pierson takes her time to get a good shot during the weekly billiards tournament. She gets both physical and mental benefits from playing billiards several times a week.
Mary Pierson counts on playing billiards at the Peggy Seegars Senior Center several times a week to "take my mind off the dark place."
The 60-year-old has a lot of health issues, including fibromyalgia, and she also has PTSD. Her husband died five years ago, and she has no children or other relatives.
Instead of sitting at home alone, where her illnesses could worsen, Ms. Pierson goes to the senior center to play billiards.
It may not seem like a lifesaver to some, but it's everything to Ms. Pierson.
"Everybody here hugs you and it's just like nothing you've ever seen," she said. "They're family."
Before she turned 60 and was eligible to go to the senior center, Ms. Pierson stayed home, which became her own person jail cell.
"I never got out, never left the house, never called anybody," she said.
Then she found the senior center -- and especially the billiards room.
"And now I'm happy," Ms. Pierson said. "I'm talking to people. And every time I walk in here, they say good morning and hug me. We have a hoot in here."
And the guys who frequent the billiards room have taken her under their wing, teaching her techniques to become a better pool player and accepting her into their special circle.
Ms. Pierson said if the didn't have the billiards room to go to, she'd be stuck sitting at home looking at four walls.
Ronnie Artis, 68, has been a fixture in the billiards room for eight years now.
"I love it here," the 68-year-old said. "I come and relax and meet a lot of people. We get to talking about a lot of things, a lot about shooting pool."
And Artis stands a little taller when he says he's good at billiards and is the man to beat.
It's mostly about having fun. But it's more than that, too.
"If you come here in a bad mood, you'll leave in a better mood," Artis said. "You can relax more here. They'll be in a bad mood when they come in, but in a good mood when they leave."
He said the best way to cheer someone up is just to talk to them and get their mind off of whatever is bothering them.
"We laugh and joke all the time here," Artis said. "There's always something on in here."
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Rob Phillips, senior center program manager, often pops into the billiards room to visit and sometimes play billiards.
"I enjoy going in there and listening to the trash talk," he said. "They talk about sports, about who's better at basketball when they were younger, who did what in high school."
Phillips said that on any given day, you'll find 15 or 20 people in the billiards room.
"It's a floating crowd all day long," he said. "You'll have some come early in the morning that you don't see in the afternoon. But then you'll have the afternoon guys and ladies. It's pretty packed all day up until after dinner."
Phillips said the billiards room provides several benefits to players.
"They can have fun," he said. "It's an activity that can help with coordination and focus and all the benefits it has. And it has the competition factor.
"It's not hard on your body. So the older you get, you can still play. Your knee can be messed up, but you can still play pool."
But friendship is the best benefit, he said.
"I've seen people who have just moved here come to the billiards room and they gain a family.
"And if you have a problem, you can work it out in there. It's never quiet in there because they're always talking. You can go in there, play a game of pool and relieve stress. I've seen guys go in and there's been four people in there and they play each other for hours. It's really good to relieve stress and get things off your mind. It's hard to have a bad day when they're in there joking around, making people smile. It can get pretty loud sometimes. We know that they're having fun and that's what we want."
Every Tuesday is a billiards challenge, with the winner getting bragging rights and a $5 gift card. And the senior center here plays against the Kinston senior center each week, with the winner getting to keep a huge trophy until a loss.
Phillips said it's a good way to get people out of the house, moving and talking to others. And it's totally free. Equipment is provided but some take their own.
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Giles Fisher, 67, has been playing billiards at the senior center since moving back to Goldsboro 2 1/2 years ago from New York City.
"I was trying to find something to do," he said. "I saw them shooting pool here and that's right up my line."
Fisher goes to the billiards room three or four times a week. Sometimes he even stays all day, about six or seven hours, just playing billiards and visiting with other players.
"It keeps me from being lonely at home," he said. "It keeps my body and mind active. To me, that's a plus. And I meet new friends. I also learn to be focused and patient."
Rafael Morales, 67, started going to the billiards room because he likes to shoot pool. He's been going about four years.
"It's fun," he said. "We all come here and enjoy it. We talk about stuff. And if they don't see you for a couple of days, they wonder what's wrong with you and call and see what's going on."
Morales said it gives him something to do instead of just sitting around his home.
"I don't like sitting around," he said.