Ramblin’Round A Gamblin’ Town

Gamblin and Ramblin” are the main industries in my town. Being a truck stop on the road before the main tourist town, many odd places happen to offer One-Arm-Bandits. Slot machines are in grocery and liquor stores. Gas stations and Casinos. Everywhere you go, there are gaming machines. In the olden days, the machines had big gleaming handles to pull. Now, you can sit quietly and push the play button over and over. The ramblin’ part is helped by the fact that the gas prices in my county are .50 cents cheaper than the county 30 miles up the road. Slot machines once worked with one coin. Now, a penny machine can cost you 60 a pull, or more. No longer can you struggle with the heaviness of your nickel cup as you cash out. Everything is computerized an on redeemable script. Just a simple piece of paper shows your winnings. Find the change machine and cash out. Easy-peasy. I miss those big cups of nickles, ripe for a disastrous spill, an the look of envious gamblers as you made your way to the cage to exchange them for paper. $20 of nickles gives the impression of great luck. The other day, I went to have breakfast at the Pony Express Watering Hole. The food at casinos can be hit or miss, but this place is known for good eats. Even outside in the parking lot, music blares. Mostly 70’s and 80’s hits. It’s odd to think that music of my generation is now what I would refer to as elevator music. I wouldn’t want to live in neighborhoods near this place, with music drowning out the roar of the wind or tweets from the birds. The sign out front was blinking the word Bingo. The number of cars in the parking lot suggested that the locals were tired of sitting inside, cowering from evils of the lurking virus. Entering the casino, patrons were everywhere, enjoying the slots. A woman’s voice could be heard on the overhead speaker announcing letters and numbers. Not sure where actual Bingo was being played, we headed for the restaurant to get a late lunch. My thoughts on Gambling and Casinos are very simple. I would love to win hundreds of dollars with a single pull. Who wouldn’t? But, the chances of me doing that are slim to none. I have rules when I enter these places. I go there to enjoy a meal. I’ll play $5. If I win, then I can play a little longer. But, never more than $5. So many people get in way over their heads, having their lives turned upside down for just one more try. Relationships are lost over trips to the Casino. Gambling can become a life wrecking addition. I don’t understand hours wasted in a smoky, smelly establishment when I could be practicing laziness in the hot tub. The Casinos are wasting all the flashing bill boards on me. Now, Bingo? That might be a horse of a different color. Bingo takes me back to 3rd grade and fun days in which I could play Bingo with my class as a reward for good behavior or successful testing. The kids intently watched their cards as I called out letter and number, one after the other. Prizes came from the dollar store, with delighted winners getting to choose the one they wanted. There was never a dull moment during our Bingo games. There were also skills practiced. Patience. Attention to directions. Good Sportsmanship. Just plain fun. Those were the days when kids couldn’t wait to get to school. Teachers felt the same way. A team focused on learning, respect, and friendship that couldn’t be beat. Variations of Bingo can also be very fun. One of the most hilarious and outrageous games played by senior citizen friends was Body Part Bingo. The caller needed to use as many body parts as possible while calling the game. So hilarious when Knee was used for N. The “B” words could be a little racy. Laughter is so good for the soul. Anyone who takes themselves too serious to play Bingo should re-evaluate life just a little. Fueling my Ramblin’s will always pay off in exact amounts. Put in $3.29 a gallon and walk away with a full tank of gas every time. No gamblin’ skills needed there. Just a good attitude as the prices at the pump skyrocket. Last summer, $2.00 a gallon gas was the norm in my little town. It’s now $3.80 in the county next door. Living remotely has benefits. As my new life blooms with possibilities, you might find me sitting intently with a Bingo card, collecting great stories for a future blog post. Bingo and slots are always something I can do to fill my time. As my desert days roll by, I just might try my luck. Who knows? Maybe it’s improved. I won’t know unless I play.