Jan 22, 2009

It's All About the Tickets

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When the children were little, we would spend an entire hour in front of the glass enclosed display of prizes at Chuck E. Cheese. We would have spent about $50 by then on games so the children could win tickets with which to purchase pieces of crap we could have gotten at WalMart for 15 cents.
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Tom & I always dreaded trips to Chuck E. Cheese. Hours of smashing into people, jostling our way from one game to another, hearing the kids cry over losing tickets or losing tokens or just losing the game.
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The bright, flashing lights, the noise, the crowd, ugh, it was way too much for this introverted, highly sensitive person to endure.
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We very much looked forward to the day they would outgrow arcades. Before long, we realized that day would not arrive until they were parents, dragging behind their own children, running zig zag through a Chuck E. Cheese like a soldier in a battle zone.
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But what really, really surprised us was how much they covet the tickets. Now that we thought they'd outgrow. Even at 16, 17, 20, 23, it's still all about the tickets!
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And, darlin', greed is contagious. You can't hang around these kids without getting sucked into the madness. You begin to think "I gotta have more tickets." You scour the place for the machine that has the best output. You lurk behind ticket moguls, experts; you study their technique.
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Ross, the youngest member of our youth group, was the first to land a jackpot. He got 500 tickets or more in one single shot. (and, yes, at the end of the day, he took the most time choosing his prizes at the glass display case) (y'know what, he chose some things for his sister who stayed at home!) (suh-weeeet)
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They had to play more and more games to get more and more tickets. More! Must have more!!

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& for what?? Junk! Silly clown hats, cheap stuffed animals, a plastic ring, a ball on a paddle....
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Marj one time hit a jackpot and got over 4,000 tickets in one day, spent 30 minutes at the prize display case while 3 year old Eva, next to her, cashed in her measley 35 tickets for a ring. What sane person would do this? These arcades suck the sanity out of everyone. If you enter, you are powerless, trust me.
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We could have such a good Bible study on this, don't you think. The world and all it's enticements, sucking us in until we are doing things we wouldn't even want to do in our weakest moment. Eyes glazed over, craving useless things.
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Must play more. More!

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Must have more tickets!!

6 comments:

Anonymous said...

It looked like yall had a lot of fun. I wish I would have gone.

The Seeker said...

Okay, what what your score on the HSP test? I know you took it...mine was 20. Surprised?

Anonymous said...

I was in one of those places ONCE and vowed I would never go back. So far I have kept my vow!!!!!!!!! How can you stand the noise. The KIDS in the picture looked way to old to go to a childerns place like that. Must be southerners never grow up - just keep acting like children instead of near adult like they are.

Anonymous said...

What happened, Driftwood, didn't get your coffee today? Pants a little too tight? Hole in your sock? You sound a little grumpy. Or are all Yankees grumpy?

Anonymous said...

Sock it to him Tammy!

Anonymous said...

Tammy:

Actually my pants are little too big. I have been on a diet and have lost weight. Most yankees are naturally grumpy - me included. Must have gotten it from my father. I can tell you have never been in one of those Chuck cheese places or you would be more understanding of my comments. Love all ya southerners anyway.