This morning, out of respect for Phil Connors (Bill Murray’s character) I listened to Sonny and Cher sing I Got You Babe. It is, after all, Groundhog Day. The movie (Groundhog Day) is one of my favorites, and I am sure that today my head will be filled with some of my favorite lines. Among the many that come to mind this morning. This one rises to the top. To set the stage, Phil (who seems to be destined to repeat the same crappy day over again, starting with the Sonny & Cher tune blaring on his alarm clock) is speeding down a railroad track in a car, looking into the headlight of an oncoming train. His line is simple and direct. “I’m betting he is going to swerve first.”
I like that line because it exemplifies the “bad bet.” Bad bets are, well, bad bets. That said, betting on the train to swerve in a game of chicken is a REALLY bad bet (you see, the train…). Phil’s situation aside (no risk, he was gonna wake up again to a crappy tomorrow and Sonny & Cher, or not), it occurs to me that it is easy to make bad bets in life – at least it is easy for me. Some bad bets are quickly laughable, others take a bit more time to recover from. To name a few, I bet on (purchased) the blue leisure suit. (I am told that was a bad bet.) I bet that people and/or circumstances won’t change (bad bet). I bet that worrying is the appropriate response and will somehow change things (I guess I do. Why else would I do it?)
Here’s the worst, though. I bet that I am always right. Or is it I always bet that I am right? Same difference! And when I place that bet is when my alarm clock needs to cue up Sonny & Cher and Phil’s line needs to ring in my head — “I’m betting he is going to swerve first.”
It occurs to me... 