Luck Be A Lady

I spent part of my twenties living near a college town, and I could be found on any weekend night in a bar.  There were several in a row down the main street, and my friend and I would pick one to go to after work, drink beer and talk, and meet people there.  We’d sit at the bar and listen to the jukebox. 

One of the songs that played often was “Luck Be A Lady,” the Frank Sinatra version.  It was a strange song to play in a college bar, but it was the mid-90s and we were in the middle of a Rat Pack resurrection. Swing and jazz were enjoying a resurgence – I had my own collection of cocktail lounge music CDs stuffed in every pocket of my car.  And in the bar, between Pearl Jam and Soundgarden and the ubiquitous Devil Went Down to Georgia, once in a while we’d all sing along to this old hit.

They call you Lady Luck
But there is room for doubt
At times you have a very un-lady-like way
Of running out

I never had much luck at winning chances.  When I was small I won one thing at an elementary school fair – a huge ragdoll someone’s mom made.  I kept that doll for years, until I grew out of it and gave it away.  I never really played with it – the doll sat in the corner of my room on a chair.  Hindsight tells me I should have kept her; she was the only proof I’ve had that one time, I was lucky.

You’re on this date with me
The pickin's have been lush
And yet before the evening is over
You might give me the brush

When I was in college I took an animal racing class as an elective.  We learned how greyhound dogs were bred and kept, learned about the different types of horse racing, and – most importantly – we learned how to place bets at the track.  Our class took a field trip to the local horse track to practice our betting skills.  I didn’t go; I was a poor college student.  I couldn’t afford to lose any money, which was a sure thing for me.

You might forget your manners
You might refuse to stay
And so the best that I can do is pray
Luck be a Lady tonight

Lottery tickets, 50/50 raffles, March Madness brackets, the occasional night out at a casino – my money was wasted.  I’d buy scratch-off lottery tickets at the convenience store and pray that my luck would turn.  I learned that the occasional free ticket wasn’t even enough to get excited about.  I heard of people who keep records of the money they win over the years – their winnings totaled in the thousands.  I never won. 

Luck be a Lady tonight
Luck if you've ever been a lady to begin with
Luck be a Lady tonight
Luck let a gentleman see
Just how nice a dame you can be
I know the way you've treated other guys you've been with
Luck be a Lady with me

My barfly status changed when I got married, and I found that even my husband has better luck than I do.  He’s won much more than I ever have – electronics, cash, clothing.  I tell myself that I’m lucky that he shares his winnings with me.  Still, someone sharing their winnings isn’t the same as winning it yourself.  It’s still discouraging.

A lady never leaves her escort
It isn't fair, it isn't nice
A lady doesn't wander all over the room
And blow on some other guys dice

When the kids were little I’d be hopeful that my unlucky genes stopped with me and I’d give them each a dollar to stick into a scratch-off machine at the grocery store.  They never won.  I convinced myself that I was the bad juju that was keeping them from being instant zillionaires and I taught them to throw their heads back in a dramatic fashion and exclaim disappointment every time, as if they thought that every scratch-off would make them rich. 

Let’s keep this party polite
Never get out of my sight
Stick with me baby, I'm the guy that you came in with
Luck be a lady tonight

I consider myself as lucky in love and health and life, and everybody knows those things are more valuable than winning lottery tickets any day.  But still.  It would be nice to win from one of those scratch-offs, at least once.

Sing it, Frank.

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This post inspired by:

Prompt #3: Talk about a time you got lucky.