Winning
I'm not one of those people who wins stuff. I always buy the obligatory tickets for 50-50 drawings, raffles (which in my area are usually for guns, 4-wheelers, or snowmobiles), and three-night stays at a local gambling/drinking/dancing hotspot, which for a couple as boring as we are isn't an enticement. I never win, so it doesn't matter what the prize is.
What I notice about winning is that winning itself is exciting, no matter what the prize. I spoke to an acquaintance yesterday who was very excited to have won two free concert tickets. The concert was in Detroit, five hours away. The band was one of those "are they still around?" used-to-be's. And the couple is past the age of enjoying the noise, the confusion, and the possibility of a contact buzz such concerts provide. But they were thrilled that they won anyway.
I used to have a fair at the school where I taught, and the highlight of the afternoon was the cake walk. You may not remember those, but you buy a ticket for maybe fifty cents or a dollar. You stand in a numbered circle with a bunch of other people, and there's a cake in the center. Music starts and you walk around until it stops. If the number you're on is the same as the number under the cake, you win. The cake. Could you go home and bake one? Sure. Could you buy one at your local deli? Of course. But people really, really wanted to WIN one, and we always sold all the tickets for all the cakes we could get donated.
So it's winning that's fun, which brings me to the contest for my ARC's. Today's the last day to get your name in, so if you like winning, or even the chance to win, comment on this blog, and you're in the drawing. Sorry, no cakes available.
What I notice about winning is that winning itself is exciting, no matter what the prize. I spoke to an acquaintance yesterday who was very excited to have won two free concert tickets. The concert was in Detroit, five hours away. The band was one of those "are they still around?" used-to-be's. And the couple is past the age of enjoying the noise, the confusion, and the possibility of a contact buzz such concerts provide. But they were thrilled that they won anyway.
I used to have a fair at the school where I taught, and the highlight of the afternoon was the cake walk. You may not remember those, but you buy a ticket for maybe fifty cents or a dollar. You stand in a numbered circle with a bunch of other people, and there's a cake in the center. Music starts and you walk around until it stops. If the number you're on is the same as the number under the cake, you win. The cake. Could you go home and bake one? Sure. Could you buy one at your local deli? Of course. But people really, really wanted to WIN one, and we always sold all the tickets for all the cakes we could get donated.
So it's winning that's fun, which brings me to the contest for my ARC's. Today's the last day to get your name in, so if you like winning, or even the chance to win, comment on this blog, and you're in the drawing. Sorry, no cakes available.
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Comment
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Comment by Peg Herring on September 4, 2009 at 1:19am
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It's those darned bells, I think. It always sounds like everyone else is getting more "dings" than I am!
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Comment by Kate Thornton on September 4, 2009 at 1:15am
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Man, that's exactly how I feel in front of a slot machine - the thrill of winning, even if it's less than you bet, so it's really losing (that's what slot machines are all about) is still a thrill. Here's hoping I win - this time the prize is a winner!
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