Boca Jackpot

Who knew that the way to bring people together is through some old fashioned wagering? Andrew, his daughter and I spent about a week in Florida visiting my family and, during one evening over dinner, my parents talked about this pastor who was trying to improve the attitudes and dispositions of his congregants by getting them to stop complaining. We all thought this a noble but doomed idea because complaining is pretty much a national pastime. In fact, my parents had given it a try after hearing about the pastor, but they lasted only a few minutes (come on, we were in kvetch country).

On the car ride home to our hotel, Andrew's daughter suggested that the three of us engage in a bet to see who could hold out the longest and refrain from complaining. We spent the next hour or so considering what constituted a complaint (criticism? yes; observations? maybe) and how much to wager (10 dollars each; winner takes all). I saw this moment as a spark in communications between us, but I'm sure she saw it as a surefire way to make a fast 20 bucks! Two days later, I was the first to cave when I began to compare the bright, open Florida sky to the dark and gloomy one back home in Wigan. Andrew caved next, while we were in New York, when he became a theatre critic after we saw A Chorus Line on Broadway. Like I said, an easy bet; next time I'm keeping my mouth shut.