My son had never been aboard a cruise ship in his young life. At the age of 15 years old, I took him aboard. He had a such a heavy beard he had to shave twice a day even at that young age.
We went aboard the “Carnival Sensation”, which sailed out of the Port of Miami.
On this particular ship, the slot machines came outside the casino into the lobby, near the Purser’s office. My son loved to gamble and I knew it. He was an over-excited young man who looked to be in his 20’s. At that time, the legal age to gamble and drink alcohol was age 18!
He asked me to play the slots. I agreed. I said I would play for just a little while before lunchtime. It was about 11 am and I sat down at a machine and played quarters.
The very first quarter, i hit a forty coin jackpot. He said, “Dad, you’re HOT!” … “Play again”. I told him I would take three of the winning coins and play again three times. He asked me “why don’t you play all three at one time?” .. I replied, ‘I will not give back any part of my winnings!’
I played one and then the second quarter and I hit the eighty coin jackpot! He screamed out loud and said, “I told you you’re HOT DAD!!!” I told him, “That’s enough” .. I will not play again.
He begged me to play again. I went to the next machine and played a quarter and hit a twenty and then a forty quarter hit …… he was really out of his mind by this time!
I told him that it is time for me to go to lunch and asked him to join me .. he said, he wanted to go inside the casino … I told him, “if you get caught, I will not bail you out!!!” … .he said, I will not gamble just look around. He promised me and I took him at his word.
We agreed he would meet me at the salad bar on the tenth floor cafeteria at 12:30 pm.
(Let us keep in mind, some ten years or so later, he became a lawyer just when most newly-graduated lawyers couldn’t find a job!!)
He met me with his pockets full … I said, “YOU PROMISED YOU WOULDN’T GAMBLE!” … He said, “Dad, I didn’t gamble” … “I promised you and I kept my word!”
He explained, “I was walking around and saw an older woman playing the dollar machines .. and I told her that if she played a quarter machine at the next bank of slots, she would win!
She agreed to go and sure enough, I told her to play all five quarters at a time and SHE WON THE SECOND TIME SHE PLAYED!!! She gave me her cup filled with quarters and she thanked me for helping her to win. “I swear that’s how I got these quarters.”
We agreed that that he wouldn’t “root” for anyone or even enter the casino anytime throughout the cruise.
That was my son’s experience and my words probably didn’t mean a thing to him, from then to today!
Keep in mind my son graduated law school and found a job when every graduate could not! He even started his own law firm two years after working for one. He now lives in New York City and has a company that deals with the largest law firms in the USA!
He celebrated by purchasing a “Drink Ticket” which allowed him to order “unlimited drinks” and in those early days, UNLIMITED MEANT UNLIMITED! He went to a bar and ordered a “round of Coca Colas for everyone there! Mr. Big Shot!!!