DON'T JUMP!

Nearly every time I drive across the bridge over the Colorado River in Bastrop, I remember the stories I've heard of a woman who jumped off the bridge in a suicide attempt.

It's my understanding she did not die, although she got stuck up to her knees in the Colorado River bottom muck and it took a rescue crew to get her unstuck from her impacted position. Supposedly this happened around 15 or 20 years ago, so it was in the recent past. The water there was about a foot or so deep, so here she is in the middle of the Colorado River up to her waist in water with her lower 40 firmly planted in the mud.

You often see The Pool Shark walking across the bridge in the morning and early evenings. Sporting a pool cue in a carrying case and often times a dated if not sporty clothing ensemble, he can be seen nearly every morning walking across the old bridge into Bastrop to hang out where ever a pool shark hangs out in a town with little or no pool tables.

The old Oyster Bar used to have a table, if memory serves, and back in the day that's where The Pool Shark could be found, waiting to hustle yet another cocky and free spending young man of a few bucks off a pool game. But with the Cindy's Sports Bar revamp, the pool table is gone. I hear tell they have one at the sports bar at the movie/bowling alley called Chestnut Square, but I have not bothered to wander back to the bar while attending a movie to verify that claim.

That must be where The Pool Shark is hanging these days. Used to be, he'd occupy various benchs on Main Street near City Hall and change sides of the street as the shady areas moved from one side of the street to the other. Lately, you don't see him just hanging out on Main Street.

The Pool Shark is generally harmless and he's never messed with me or any of my friends. You don't see him visiting much with folks on the street ever, and he just pretty much keeps to himself. He doesn't appear to be a big drinker, as he never reeks of alcohol, but often he does have that Bastrop Bad Hair going when he removes his fedora or ball cap. Of course, that could just be "hat hair", and I have decided that hat hair qualifies as Bastrop Bad Hair if hat hair is displayed in public.

On occasion in the afternoons, I've seen The Pool Shark way down on Chestnut near the movies and I've surmised he's been hanging at the bar there, if indeed they have a pool table. Funny, even though the guy doesn't seem to have a job, he's like clockwork crossing that bridge every morning and afternoon, just like it's a real job with standard hours. But rain or shine, hot or cold, you can see that Rascal in town doing what appears to be his job, which seems to be hanging out.

I wonder if he ever thinks about the girl that jumped off the old bridge and got stuck in the mud instead of killed?