this came to mind earlier this evening when i read an e-mail about someone i used to know who is on the verge of losing everything she worked for including her family, all because of gambling.
it started with one 'harmless' trip to the casino. she and her husband were invited to watch the races, she was bored and restless, the horses didn't interest her and the betting methods were too complicated. her husband told her to check out the slots downstairs and she did. she won a big amount of money.
she's a nurse doing home care for a number of patients. the pay was ridiculously high. her husband was a watchsmith, with shops at all the high end department stores. they had three houses and a cottage. three children in university, cars for each children, suv's for work, the mercedes for weekends.
another opportunity to go to the casino came during one of their 'ladies' nights' and inspired by the big win that first time, they went. it was a fun night, a roller coaster of wins and losses but it ended up with her having a few hundred more than when they came. but then she and another friend needed to go back, just to pass the time. then she needed to go back because she felt lucky. then because she had to recover the amount of money she had lost one night, and the next night, until a few months later, one house was double mortgaged. she was so wrapped up with wanting to go and just play the slots because she wanted to relax.
her husband warned her, her children blasted her, her employer gave her the pink slip because she had at numerous times forgotten to see her patients. the cottage was in her name and secretly she went to the bank. with so much 'capital' to play with surely she would be able to win back the money, double it even.
no dice. in less than a year, the family is in financial turmoil. her husband and children moved away, she sold the house in the city, she now lives in a government housing complex, seeing a counselor for her gambling problem, and secretly going to the casino when she gets depressed.
i don't gamble. no, that's not true, i buy lottery tickets and that is a form of gambling. i've gone to casinos, i've gone to vegas, to atlantic city. when i know i'm going to these places, i go with the mindset that it is for fun. i earmark $20 to play around with at the slots. when that's gone, that's it. the first time i went and played blackjack my fifty pesos grew to six hundred pesos, i was so nervous, the feeling of being sucked in was tremendous. but i walked away, the dealer leering at me even when i gave him a good tip.
-o0o-
for this week's five plus two theme "loss". this is my interpretation.
thank you for your kind visits and comments, they are greatly appreciated.
update:
those aren't real casino chips; they're chocolate candies wrapped to look like casino chips and they came with the real dice. i bought them after Christmas on sale. not planning on eating them though (the chocolate, not the dice) so i can play with them again (the chocolate and the dice).
Your processing has introduced a sad theme into this picture which is what it is really! The addiction to anything! I do what you do only with $10 and when thats gone I just watch others lose!
Fantastic conceptual shot - it could portray a single loss of money on one throw of the dice or a much greater loss of family, income, lifestyle and health. I hope your friend manages to turn her life around.
@maggiemae - yes, that's right, watch them lose their money. sometimes when i watch somebody, especially chinese, and they start to win, they think i bring them luck so they small talk me so i'd linger around longer. i think that's kind of pathetic and desperate. i get bored easily with things i'm not so interested in so i just leave anyway. i prefer to spend my money on food. thank you, maggiemae.
Sad but such an accurate description of the addiction. I've never played a slot machine or even bought a lottery ticket- although when my dad had his convenience store in Vt. they sold lottery tickets and one year he gave me a ticket that won five dollars. I just think that if I'm going to spend that money, I'd rather buy ice cream! Excellent shot and commentary.
March 17th, 2014
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@dh - i hope so, too. but people think she's in there too deep and unsalvageable - she sneaks in so often to go to the casino. thank you, d.
@deburahiru - glad you liked it. thank you, deb.
@altadc - thank you, alta.
@sarasdadandmom - so true. thank you, terry.
@northy - thank you, kiddo.
@claireuk - i hope theirs has a happy ending. thank you, claire.
@kali66 - it is terrible. thank you, kali.