Secret Decoder Ring

The hubby tells a story I'd like to share. When he was a kid watching Captain Video on TV(brought to you by Bosco), a commercial advertised the Secret Decoder Ring. The ring in the ad was fantastic, rubies and diamonds sparkling. It was the thing that all super spies had.

The ad said you, too, can have a genuine Secret Decoder Ring just like the one in the commercial. All you had to do was mail in 6 Bosco chocolate syrup labels and the ring would be yours.  Mailed to your house. It took 3 weeks. For a 7 or 8 year old, that's forever.

He drank Bosco chocolate milk by the gallon until he'd saved the required number of labels. Patiently steaming off the labels. He waited anxiously for the mailman to bring the prized ring. Guarding the mailbox everyday. Everyday the mailman shook his head, "Sorry, not today."

Until, at last, the package arrived! Ripping it open he quickly discovered the ring in the ad's picture and this thing in his hand, where light years apart. It was a cheap plastic thing, shoddy fake rubies and diamonds. Talk about disappointment. Since he's still talking about it today, decades later, you know he's been hurt.

Well today he doesn't fall for that kind of thing. Businesses that offer a free this or that once you've had your card punched x number of times. Credit card points, airline points, grocery store reward cards. He's not having it. OK, he did use credit card points for a trip one time. But he is verrrrry skeptical. This is how he became the Conspiracy Brother.