Lucky

One of the old black-and-white movies I saw on TV in my youth was the 1943 Cary Grant romance, Mr. Lucky, in which he portrayed a professional gambler.  From early in my life, I have considered myself lucky as well.

Want some examples?  In December 1952, I had a very bad infection in my right knee and penicillin (see post) saved my life.  A mere eleven years earlier, penicillin wasn't available.  Nothing could have saved me.  I was lucky.

In 1954, I was a Polio Pioneer.  I was in the age group where the experimental Salk vaccine was injected into thousands of guinea pig children.  Not only did the vaccine work, but I was lucky I was not in the placebo group.

In the summer of 1955, my mother and I visited the New York State Fair in Syracuse.  At one exhibit I put my name on a paper for a chance to win a bust of Christopher Columbus.  I was lucky the first name drawn wasn't present.  Mine was second and I took home the bust.  Where is that bust?

In April 1963, I was one of three males participating in a dance contest at a night club at the Doral Beach Hotel in Miami Beach (The Greatest).  I did the twist and was lucky enough to be chosen the winner.  I still have the picture of me with the trophy, but not the trophy.  Where is it?

In October 1969, I was lucky to win a ticket to the third game of the World Series (see post) between the New York Mets and the Baltimore Orioles.  There were two tickets and three wanted one.  We drew straws and my luck came through again.  

But my biggest piece of luck came in 1978.  My ex-wife Bonita and I decided to buy a brand new Toyota Corolla station wagon.  

I financed the purchase of the car at a branch of the Manufacturers Hanover Trust Company across the street from my office at 375 Park Avenue in Manhattan.  The bank's loan officer told me I would receive a coupon book I would use when making the monthly payments.

Shortly thereafter, Bonita's mother died and she flew to Michigan with our daughter Rachel for the funeral.  Days later, I picked up our new car and drove by myself the 600 mile trip to join them.

Thirty days after taking out the car loan I had not yet received the coupon book.  I went to the bank to see the loan officer, ready to make my first payment.  She told me it was not possible to do it without a coupon.  I should be patient.

Sixty days after taking out the car loan I had not yet received the coupon book.  I went back to the bank.  The loan officer reiterated that I should patiently wait for the coupon book to arrive, which "it inevitably would."  She told me it was "not necessary to come back" to the bank until the coupon book arrived.  

The coupon book never arrived.  I never returned to the bank.  Years later, with the car I never paid for falling apart, I junked it.  In 1992, Manufacturers Hanover Trust Company was acquired by Chemical Bank (now known as JPMorgan Chase Bank), ceasing to exist.  Again, I was lucky, very lucky.  And I think, at 75 years of age, I still am.