I’m not a gambler, but I like to make bets especially when I know there’s a deadline in sight and there could be some kind of substantial change between now and then. Anytime I’ve left the country or gone on a long trip I’ve made bets, not only with people, but also with myself. I like to keep a daily planner, and every once in a while I’ll flip several months ahead to some arbitrary date and I’ll write a little note to myself and say “If ____________ hasn’t happened by this date then you should ____________.” That’s just one example, but making bets with people is more fun.
During my overseas travels, I made a series of bets with friends regarding every day life scenarios. For instance, who was going to be the next pregnant couple in our social circle? If one of us guessed correctly, the other person had to buy the other a drink. Or we’d make bets about whether a couple we knew would still be together staying by the time I returned home. Is that cruel? Maybe. But it’s also fun. There are so many situations in our lives that we just don’t know will change in the future, and maybe that’s why making bets are so much fun. We all want to know what our future looks like, and what’s going to change.
So far, I’ve made only one bet during the quarantine. When is the lockdown going to end? The winner gets a shot. Since we’re approaching a partial lift, I thought I’d clarify: the lockdown is over when everything’s open and we can all have a patio beer again. These are some of the guessed dates I’ve gotten.
I can’t wait to award the winner with a shot! Want to make your own quarantine bet? Here are some guidelines to do so. First, any bet made cannot be influenced by the parties involved. In other words, the topic cannot be controlled or influenced by the people making the bet. I don’t get to choose the date that the quarantine ends so it’s a safe topic to bet on. The topic must also be clearly defined. For instance, the lockdown is probably going to end soon, but for my bet specifically I’m measuring when we are able to eat in restaurants and bars again. It can be about a variety of topics, for instance, politics, sports, world events, etc. or you could make a bet about what’s going to be different after the quarantine? It doesn’t really matter. Finally, you need to decide what you were betting on. Does the winner get cash? Does the loser have to do some humiliating task? It’s up to you I’m choosing to buy the winner of my bet a shot, but there are many other things you can do. It’s just for fun especially when you can get others involved. Can you think of a fun bet to make involving the quarantine or the lockdown? I’d love to hear it.