World Coins

Thursday, March 6 - Using Reason On Anger

06 Mar

The ‘Gambler’

Here’s a humorous anecdote from the Internet. On a recent weekend in Atlantic City, a woman won a bucketful of quarters at a slot machine. Before dinner she wanted to stash away the quarters in her hotel room. “I’ll be right back,” she told her husband and she carried the coin-laden bucket to the lift. As she was about to walk into the lift she noticed two men already aboard. Both were black. One of them was big… a very intimidating figure.

The woman froze. Her first thought was: “These two are going to rob me”. Her next thought was: “Don’t be a bigot; they look like nice gentlemen.” She stood and stared at the two men. She felt anxious, ashamed. She hoped they didn’t read her mind, but knew they surely did. With a mighty effort of will, she picked up one foot and stepped forward and followed with the other foot and was in the lift.

Avoiding eye-contact, she turned around stiffly and faced the lift doors as they closed. A second passed and then another second, and then another. The lift didn’t move. Panic consumed her. “My God, I’m trapped and about to be robbed!” Then one of the men said, “Hit the floor.” Instinct told her: Do what they tell you. The bucket of quarters flew upwards as she threw out her arms and collapsed on the lift carpet. A shower of coins rained down on her. “Take my money and spare me,” she prayed. More seconds passed. She heard one of the men say, “Ma’am, if you’ll tell us what floor you’re going to, we’ll push the button.”

The one who said it had a little trouble getting the words out. He was trying to hold in a laugh. She lifted her head and looked up at the two men. They reached down to help her up. Confused, she struggled to her feet. “When I told my man here to hit the floor,” said the average-sized one, “I meant that he should hit the lift button for our floor. I didn’t mean for you to hit the floor, ma’am.” He spoke genially. It was obvious he was having a hard time not laughing.

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