Some of you have heard me speak of my father’s “daddyisms.” Robert, the elder, often spoke and taught in proverb, parable or story. It has taken a few years for the wisdom of these “daddyisms” to make it past my ears but eventually the voice of wisdom and reason sinks into thick skulls.

I am quite sure most were borrowed from another sage and age gone by. That is just a reminder that wisdom is as timeless as our need for it. So, if a wise teacher has shared some of these with you, we have a common bond.

As a young boy, we looked forward to the county fair. Nothing shouts, “ Fall in Rural Americana” louder than the lights of the Ferris wheel, the smell of livestock, candy covered apples, cotton candy and the cries of “step right up” from the carny barkers.

The tiny beacons from the Ferris wheel and the squeals of gleeful riders on the spinning and high flying rides called us to the party. One night, we had been given our allowance for the experience and were walking about getting ‘the lay of the land’ in order to plan the night’s activities.

After tagging along into the canning and baking section, pretending to be equally impressed with the needle work on the quilts as my mother examined both the front and back of the quilt, looking at huge pumpkins and other freaks of agriculture, then giggling and gagging at the wonders of a calf’s digestive system, the little folks were off to the bright lights, whirling rides and other adventures of the night with "our" money in our hot little hands.

I suppose my father had noticed when we were on our initial scouting mission into this alternate reality that I slowed to watch lesser athletes than I throw the balls, toss the coins or rings to win a prize. The allure of winning and a throwing arm that had been touted as both strong and accurate for my age, mixed with a sense of adventure and the possibility of a dime yielding a huge teddy bear, were hard for this young adolescent to ignore.

So, before heading out in this alien land brought in on trailers and that would leave us behind in a few short days, it was time for a lesson.

As we were about to set out to choose how we would entertain ourselves and spend our allowance of time and money for the evening, "daddyism" emerged. Pointing to the row of barkers beckoning the unsuspecting into their lair, he said, “Son, if they can make a living at it, you can’t.”

He was right. But like a moth circling a flame I concluded that I would not get burned. I did, vaporized under those bright lights.

That voice rings clear when I see the lottery signs and advertisements for Las Vegas. The money that goes to Vegas usually stays in Vegas and 1 million-to-one odds at the convenience store will leave us without the one. Maybe that’s what the Education Lottery really teaches us!

The wisdom of his comments applies to get rich schemes from Ponzi to pyramids, Wall Street to main street, to that swamp land in Florida or an opportunity that is one in a million and too good to be true that is just around the corner.

Many a young man or woman has forgone the taste of candy apples or spinning rides to whet their appetite for the thrill of a carnival contest. Hard-earned money has been squandered on the investment of the century. Many have come to realize the wisdom of, “If they can make a living at it, you can’t.”

A once in a million opportunity usually brings a million-to-one odds.

So what did I do with my allowance of time after my allowance of money was over? I contemplated other bits of wisdom while stepping around and in the realities of the livestock section.

“A fool and his money are soon parted and a sucker is born every minute.” After all, if they could make a living at it, I couldn’t.