Pay Day

So we all know about Ernie and his odd little obsessions. He is famous for his knowledge on subjects such as sharks, World War II, The Civil War, and fighter planes. Perhaps his longest obsession and most knowledgeable subject is the Titanic. He knew every detail from ship building to the sinking. He knew names, numbers, locations. You name it, he knew it. People thought he was odd. Everyone listened to him rattle off facts and treated him like a little party trick. I know what everyone was thinking. "Oh, how cute is that. But really what good is this ever going to do him?" Well, let me just tell all you naysayers what good it did him.

At a recent swim meet our team was visiting another pool. This pool was in a ritzy neighborhood. Their announcer was doing trivia questions and who ever answered got a prize. I was busy taking pictures and I heard in the background a question being asked. Something about a ship and a pool. I really wasn't paying attention. I then heard the answer to the trivia question. "The Titanic" As I hear the answer Ernie comes up to me with a handful of money. I was aghast. "Where did you get that money?" I asked. He grinned from ear to ear and said, "I won it in the trivia contest." Of course he did. I should have known that if the answer was the Titanic Ern would know it. And what did he net for his hours and hours of study. $00.90