March 8, 2009

(United States of Broke) - The little boy looked into the face of his father with a quizzical look. "How did you get me this football?" he asked.

"Well," said the father, making one of those wise, fatherly faces,"I bought it."

"I know you did, dad, but HOW? I thought we were broke,"said the boy with a face and voice full of wonder.

The father, who had always believed in telling his son most of the truth, said,"We are, son, we are."

"Then, dad, if we don't have any money, HOW can we afford it?"

"Hmm," said the father, rubbing his manly chin,"Well.. I took out my credit card and paid for your football with that."

But the boy was all-boy and that meant he had an all-boy mind. "What's a credit card, dad?"

"Well, son, that's a piece of plastic that I handed to the sales clerk, and she put it in a machine, and then she gave me your football."

"WOW!" said the very impressed son, "SO it's like magic?"

"In a way, son.. in a way."

"What does she do with the piece of plastic, dad?"

"Now, she doesn't keep the plastic, son, I have it right here."

"WOW TWICE!" said the son. But then a cloud came over the boy's face. "But if you get the piece of plastic back, what does she get?"

"Money, son."

"That thing really is magic, dad."

"It sure is son. And what's more important, I can do it again, and again, and again."

"WOW, again, dad!"

"Wow, indeed, son."

"So you don't have to pay for it the way we pay for school lunch, ever.. just use plastic."