I was at the company’s annual picnic last Friday. It was an event I look forward to each year ever since COVID had everyone packing up and working from home. To be honest, other than the people who’s been with the company prior to COVID, I have no idea who’s who and the picnic was a good opportunity to put a face to the photos I see in my emails.

In prior years, my mom had gone to the picnic with me since we work for the same company but different department. She had chosen to stay home this year. So I went by myself. I’ll admit that it was quite nice because one, driving with my mom in the passenger seat is distracting and scary like she would throw a tantrum if I switched lanes too slow or made a turn a little too slow for her liking and two, after she’s eaten her obligatory amount of food, she would be dragging me to leave because of the traffic even though I would want o stay for the Bingo game.

There was none of that this year. There’s no one telling me to leave. There was no invisible leash to reel me back just as I was getting in a deep conversation with a co-worker who I hardly see around the office. For once, I did not feel like I was part of a conjoin twin. I could talk to whoever I wanted for however long I wanted and I could leave whenever I wanted.

Still I chose to leave after the Bingo game.

I know Bingo is one of those games that senior citizens play but I really enjoy the game. Call me old-fashioned. I don’t what it is about the game other than it’s very fun and it makes me smile whether I win or not. Did I mention we were playing for prizes?

And I won!

I guess it’s a every-two-years kind of thing because last time I won was in 2022. This time, I won a mini-fridge. It’s nothing big but it was won fair and square being the first one to shout “Bingo” on a checker-board bingo pattern (every other square blacked out).

What was supposed to be a 45-minute drive took me over an hour because they decided to close two lanes of traffic to repave the interstate at 7 PM on a Friday night, leaving only one lane of traffic available.

When I got home, I excitedly told my mom I won a prize. She had no reaction at first but the next morning, she called me greedy and that I shouldn’t be coveting the prize. Basically, she’s saying I shouldn’t go after any prizes at all. Except I did not, I played to have fun and just so happened I won. I believe in God and know if he knew I was thinking of winning a prize, he would not give me the prize. It’s reverse psychology at its best.

I don’t understand why she would think I played because of greed.