MONDAY DIARY: ALMOST EXCRUCIATINGLY TRUE STORIES: THAT'S THE TICKET!

If you ever listen to the radio game show, "What Do You Know?" you are familiar with the disclaimers that an audience member always is elected to read one of which states:

 

"Persons employed by the International House of Radio or its member stations are lucky are lucky to be working at all, let alone tying up the office phones trying to play the quiz.  Listeners who have won recently should sit on their hands and let someone else have a chance for a change."

 

It's good advice.  It was advice given to me by Father Hildert my first pastor when I was ordained.  "As much as you want to support causes at the parish, never buy a ticket for the car raffle or other tickets for large prizes.  It will always be a mark of suspicion should you win."

 

His advice did not swing broadly enough.

 

This past week we had our Third Annual Brick Street Jazz and Wine Festival at the parish.  At the festival there was a Chinese raffle - about a dozen bags in which to place your ticket in order to win a prize.  I was to draw the winning tickets (cleverly NOT buying any tickets for myself lest something embarrassing happened.)  So I drew the first ticket.

So . . . cute right?  The next bag came up.  It was shaken vigorously.  I slipped my hand into the depths of the tickets and . . .

My sister, who does not like attention or to be embarrassed whispered in my ear . . .

So the third bag came forward and of course this happened. . .

So I dropped my sister's ticket in my pocket.

The next ticket was my cousin.