During my junior year of high school my sister Liz and I shared a car. My parents gave us each a credit card for gas and emergencies. One fine day I ran in to pay for gas and the gentlemen at the counter said, "would you like a game card. It's only a dollar and I can add it onto your gas amount?" Wow! Of course I would like a game card! Who wouldn't?
I went back to my car and in excitement scratched off the surface. I had immediately won $50 dollars! Wow, and so it began. For the next six months of my life I bought a "game card" or two with each and every visit I made to pay for gas. That amounted to a large amount of cards and more importantly to note, if your calculating numbers, it amounted to me not only losing the $50 I had won - but paying out about $50 more.
Luckily fate soon stepped in or the madness may have never stopped. My Dad asked for a ride to Jiffy Lube one day to pick up his car. We walk out, get in my car, and the following conversation takes place. Keep in mind of the probable 100 "game cards" I had purchased, I had not thrown away a single one. They all laid scattered around my vehicle.
Dad: (My dear father looking all around my car in complete bewilderment) "Lynette, what are all these"?
Lynette: "What"?
Dad: "These sweetie. All these cards"? (Now holding one up)
Lynette: "Oh Yea!" (With excitement) "Dad, did you know that you can buy these game cards at the gas station and actually win money by doing so"!
Dad: (a small smile appears, but mostly still his look of bewilderment) "I know all about it Lynette. It's called gambling"!
Lynette's mind: (Gambling??? Now that's a term I recognize. I don't believe in gambling though.)
My dear father used this as a learning moment and proceeded to explain to me (his "baby" of five) the many different types of gambling and (seeing the large number of cards scattered about) the reasons why we choose to refrain from doing so.
I am happy to report since that day forward I have been gamble free.
