I have been driving my kids to school rather than putting them on the bus for a couple of weeks.
They really loved riding the bus and bouncing around with their friends which beats having their Mom using the final four minutes before school to really hammer home the importance of returning with empty fruit and vegetable containers. I am the worst.
We stumbled upon a radio contest called the ‘Big Bag of Cash’ and have listened to excited caller number 7 morning after morning eventually let their greed overcome their better judgement and instead of walking away with a big bag of cash, they hang up with an empty sack…with a hole in it.
We found ourselves shouting into the heating vents in the van (none of us know where the speakers are), “Stop! Take the money! Walk away!” But almost daily, contestants pursue their dream of hitting it rich over their morning coffee and charge ahead, “ONE MORE BAG!” until the bank busts (kid’s practical joke, hand buzzer indicating the game is over).
Yesterday morning, I said to the kids, “You know we could call the number.”
They looked at me like these contestants had to go through a series of intense interviews, background checks, retinal scans before getting on the air.
Nope.
We dialed and heard, “Hello! You’re caller number seven!”
I quickly pulled over into a Church parking lot because I find I do my best gambling with the Lord by my side.
I mentioned this was our first ever attempt at calling and perhaps ruined the lives of every listener out there who according to the hosts, “Do you know people have been calling every day for years trying to get through?”
I did not know that.
We stuck to our plan and played the game as we would, had we been listening to someone else.
Bag number one offered $100 and change.
The kids motioned to go for the next one so we opened Bag #2. It was a higher number but less than $200.
We went for the third. Maybe some people would stop (nobody that we’ve ever heard, but others)
Bag #3 was in the $200 range.
Four has always been my lucky number so we went for another and it too landed in the high $200’s.
At this point, the kids wouldn’t look at me and were turning their heads to look out the window. I could tell this seemed like millions of dollars and they did not want to be responsible for losing our house if I went on and lost.
I opened Bag 5. Keep in mind, I would have yelled at the person playing to go ahead and felt good about my decision.
Bag 5 was $600 and change.
I quit and took the money.
Bag 6 was $700 something and Bag 8 busted.
I’m not sure there’s a moral here. Teach your kids to treat money like it’s a game? Always gamble at Church?
When Hanna called home to tell Greg, he was pretty sure she said, “Daddy, we found a big bag of cash.”
He was adamant we return it.
