“To Gamble or “NOT” to Gamble…”

Mar 21st “To Gamble or “NOT” to Gamble…”

In the 1940’s – and – when I was in an Orphanage – every year the Orphanage had two big celebrations to raise money. The first celebration was always on the second Sunday in June – and that was their “Centennial Anniversary Celebration” and the second celebration were held – always on the second Sunday in August. This time it was called their “PICNIC Celebration” and each of these celebrations included food, drink pony rides, and all kinds of “gambling!”

The Alumni men would start building all kinds of booths almost two weeks ahead of these occasions – as each of the Catholic Parish Churches would have auxiliary men and women to work these booths – some of these booths would be set up for – games of chance – some had quilts and other items handmade with raffle tickets to purchase – some booths had shelves filled with all kinds of white elephant items all numbered – and they would also have some useless consolation prizes, for those who spent lots of money and won nothing.

Well – I would ask my Aunt Irene for a quarter – so that I could see if I could WIN SOMETHING – at this booth where they have large jars with lots of slips of paper with numbers hand-written on and folded – these slips with numbers would match some item of the shelf??? These were the days when I had 20-20 vision! I would look in that large “JAR” and pull out a couple or so of these folded slips of paper and pick only three from my hand. “You” – know what I was doing! ?? I was picking out those slips of paper with writing on – as I knew – even when I was about nine years old – those were “WINNERS!”

It was not too long – that some of those “senior citizens” working that booth – caught on to me. So – they put writing on each and every piece of paper in the “JAR” – so that – for those of us kids – who figured on a for sure “WINNER” were stopped in our very young tracks! So, at that very young age – I did learn a very important message – you cannot “WIN at another’s man’ game!” Later in LIFE – I have purchased a chance or two – that is I paid out some of my hard earned money for a chance to WIN – and I never ever won anything! The lesson for me was – if it is for a good cause – just give them a couple of dollars – and know that it is only a “DONATION” – that it might do someone some good – as I will never WIN – that is clear and I understand – that only great harm will come to those who go overboard with their “GAMBLING!”

Sometime ago, and this was in the newspapers and on radio – as it happened in South County Saint Louis, Missouri – a young Mother of several children and a good Husband that worked every day was addicted to “GAMBLING” – and in the NEWS – that she was so addicted – that she spent all of her time “GAMBLING!” – In her trying to recover some of the money she had lost – she started to “double up” on the “GAMBLING” – NOW she was borrowing against her home – to where she could not get any more money from the bank. Then the money she had in her checking account to pay the entire monthly bills – she gambled it away. Now there was nowhere to get any money – and when she received the “BANK NOTICE” that they were to meet her at her “HOME” to pick up the keys – she with all of the bills and notices she received – got into her car – drove and park it on a deserted “shopping lot” and shot herself and died in the car!

When I had heard about this – I just could not figure out –” why” no one knew what she was doing and or HOW to help her???”GAMBLING” is just such a wicked thing – and to let “IT” get such a strangle hold on you – when you are so young – and then for you to always keep thinking your next bet will be the “BIG WINNER” – when in reality we all know – there – just is no way that – that will ever happen!!!!