Penny For Your Thoughts By: Nancy Whitaker
We all have funny stories to tell either about ourselves or someone else.
One of my funniest memories was in the middle of the 2000s.
My husband and I decided to go to Atlantic City to try our luck with those greedy machines at the casinos. We wanted to have fun plus maybe hit a few dollars.
The day after we arrived, we went to a big casino and we didn’t have much luck. I am not a gambler, but I got busy putting $ bills into a machine.
Hubby said, “You better stop now you are spending way too much money.” Well I just had to have one last pull on that machine and all of a sudden, lights started flashing, bells were ringing and I was scared that I broke that one arm bandit.
Well, I was so shocked because I had not hurt the machine but I was the winner of $700. The attendants came and gave me my winnings in cash and took my picture. People were gathered around me and they all knew I was a winner.
This totally scared me as I thought I would get robbed. I grabbed hubby’s arm and told him, “I am going to the hotel and stay because everyone knows I won money and I don’t want to get mugged.”
Well we went back to the hotel, I locked the door, and sat there clenching my winnings. After sitting 24 hours in the hotel watching my money luckily our flight was to leave late that afternoon. We got on the airplane and sticking my sum of money in my shoe, we settled down for our trip home.
Ahhh. a nice relaxing flight. Well… no. All of a sudden the plane started rocking around and I was sitting by the window, I saw lightening flashing and yes I heard that roar which was no doubt thunder. Of course I got upset and started hyperventilating, got pale and started to holler.
A stewardess came over to me and told me to switch places with hubby so I could not see the lightning. They then handed me something to drink saying “This will help you calm down.”
I started praying out loud, “Lord please don’t let this plane crash. I would like to get home and spend my money.”
Well we could not land in Fort Wayne because of the storm so the pilot just kept flying around here and there. It was close to 2 am before we got back home.
The next day I did give my Mama $70 to give to her church as my tithe money. I wasn’t at church, but my mom took that $70, gave it to the preacher and announced, “This is kind of dirty money because my daughter won it gambling”
Well like I said I am not a big gambler, but I did make it home with my money, locked all the doors and windows and sat up the rest of the night counting my winnings till I could get to the bank. What a strange scary night, but looking back it was worth it.
Have you ever won money from a casino or a lottery ticket? Have you ever been in an airplane during a storm? Let me know your story and I will give you a Penny for Your Thoughts.
