"Ma, can I have a penny?" These little treat machines were everywhere when I was a kid. They were strategically placed at every entrance and exit in grocery stores and department stores. For the most part the simplicity of these machines is gone. No more gum balls round like a marble. Putting a penny into the slot, turning the crank and quickly cupping your hand just beneath the shoot before lifting the little door on the front of the machine maybe, just maybe saved your gum ball from skidding across the floor. These old gum ball machines were an introduction to economics. The consumer puts one penny in the slot and gets product in return. Now machines have claws and ipods to win. The enticement is great. Using the claw is risky. It is basically a game of chance. Money is exchanged for a chance to capture a prize. There is a time limit. The odds are not good. The consumer pays for the opportunity to play handing over a bill with the notion that they will beat the odds and win big. It seldom happens that way.
I want to know, when did life get so complicated? It seems to me that the best memory makers even today are the ones that are simple. Dinner at the supper table, a walk on the beach or creating art with pen and paper. Priceless.
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