The Legend of the Penny Bet

Back in college JB dared to correct me when I told him that a girl who lived in our dorm drove a silver Ford sedan. He said it was white. Problem is I had a huge, stalker like crush on this girl (let's call her Ice cream Girl, for reasons that I won't go into here...) and I KNEW the color of her car. It was silver. I was right. So we walked to the parking lot, to settle it like men.

On the way I blurted something out. No real surprise there. But this declaration has stayed with me since that fateful day, standing in the parking lot on the west side of Crumley Hall.

Before we spotted Ice Cream Girl's car, I wanted JB to know how right I was and how wrong he was. A prelude to the taunting that was about to begin. So I declared (and won) the first Penny Bet.

I am not much of a gambler. Don't really see the sense in giving my money away to someone else on a dare. Besides that, I was living off of mom and dad back then and I would not have wasted their money on gambling. Beer? Maybe. And that's all I'm sayin'.

A Penny Bet is much more than swapping money on a silly contest. It is about respect. When you take away the penny, you take the other guy's honor. And you have the right to gloat. For years. Or until you lose the penny.

A Penny Bet can be declared at anytime, by anyone. For example, a few days ago, The Boss Lady called one. She won. Therefore I can't remember what it was about. Last night I redeemed myself. The bet? If there was one last Dr Pepper in the garage fridge. The Boss Lady really did not want to go out there on the chance that there would be no Dr Pepper left, but she could not resist the pull of the penny.

She came back in with the last soda and looked like a whipped puppy. Yeah for me! I won the penny, let the gloating, end zone dancing and taunting begin.

We used to have a penny that changed hands. JB and I kept one taped to the wall of our apartment. There to remind the loser of his current status. The funny thing, I think we hardly ever moved the penny. It was taped by a light switch. And it was easy enough to remember if you were in possession or not. But this is about honor, remember? The penny plays but a minor role.

Years ago The Boss Lady and I quit exchanging pennies. And we sometimes go months without a bet. I can't remember the last bet before the most recent two.

Penny Bets are usually sucker bets. And everyone knows it. But the only thing worse than losing a Penny Bet is refusing to join into a Penny Bet.

So now you know. The Penny Bet. Use the knowledge carfully. Taunt ceaselessly and lose graciously. Awww screw that, lose like a big whiny baby. A giant hissy fit makes it more fun for the other guy.