A few weeks ago I was in Reno, NV at an Air Force flight equipment safety conference. Having never been to Reno, I wasn't sure exactly what to expect besides a bunch of casinos and bright lights. Well, as I got off the plane I realized that my assumption was pretty accurate but I underestimated the personal aspect of gambling’s destructive nature. Watching on TV and movies, casinos seem like exciting places full of thrilling wins and occasional losses. In real life, losses come much more easily than wins… and instead of exhilarating gambling fun, I saw drunken, frustrated depression. Of the 8 or so people that came to the conference with me, none of them walked away with more than they came with, as far as I know... not very good odds.
One friend in particular found a slot machine that was based on monkeys, bananas, and gold treasure (or something like that)... and every time you get a monkey in the right spot, your monkey-meter goes up one level -- seemed like a game my 2-yr-old daughter would like! But this friend seemed obsessed with the monkeys. He was convinced that if he played long enough, he could get the monkeys he needed to win the jackpot. He kept saying that he just needed one more monkey and all these great things would happen in the game, but it never worked out.
Our culture is obsessed with quick gain (myself included). Surveys say that our expectations are higher than they've ever been (just ask high school kids how many of them expect to make more than $100,000 when they are adults... then ask them how they plan to achieve those expectations). We think we can get something for nothing. A get-rich-quick scheme here, a self-made millionaire plan there... We have amazing ambitions, but no goals!
One more monkey is never gonna cut it... there has to be a better way
psst, the name of the "way" is... Jesus
Monday, November 17, 2008
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