"Know when to fold 'em"

“You've got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, know when to walk away.”

Kenny Rogers  The Gambler

An old but catchy expression says, “I will ride this (fill in the blank) until the wheels fall off.”  It often applies to a tangible item but it can apply to almost anything in life.  Have you asked yourself the question, “how did I get here but in the back of your mind, you know you ignored a warning sign?”  Well, that warning sign alerts you the wheels are slowly beginning to fall off and sooner rather than later, you should let this particular something go.  I am guilty of riding things until the wheels falls off both literally and figuratively speaking. I think about the job positions I stayed in longer than I should have.  Yes, I had a warning sign called complacency but I waited until I was no longer growing in the position or the bad performance review moment to know it was time to make a move.  On the subject of personal relationships, when the wheels begin to fall off you begin talking at a person instead of to a person.   Unconditional love does not work when two people are not participating in keeping the foundation steady in love’s shaky times.  The wheels also begin to fall off when you are pretending to enjoy something and your demeanor speaks disinterested without you uttering a single word.  This also applies to appliances; you know the item that you keep bootlegging to make it continue to work will eventually break because it is on its last leg.  This becomes unamusing when it finally gives out at a critical moment of need.   I think about my first car I bought and loved driving it dearly.  During my eight years of owning the car the last two years brought me the blues, I started putting more money into it then it was worth.  Finally, the last straw was it continued to overheat and wondering when I woke up in the morning if it would start.  I finally broke down and brought a new car, hated a new car note but loved the fact I did not have to worry if I had adequate transportation to work. The basic question is, “Why wait until the wheels fall off when you know how truly dangerous it can become over time?”  In a time when money is tight and healthy relationships are hard to come by, it is hard to let go of certain things but not completely wise to keep riding things until the wheels fall off.  Kenny Rogers said it best, “You've got to know when to hold 'em, know when to fold 'em, know when to walk away.”   Therefore, do you know when to let something go or do you often choose to continue to be the gambler in this uncertain game called life?