Cards

What comes into your mind when you hear the word, "cards"? I think of playing cards when I hear it. But when I hear someone say "card", I think of my ATM card. Funny how those two words just differ with just one letter. I used to play cards with my neighbors back when we were still children. My father would catch me playing cards and then spank me. I always feared my dad's hand. But when I think back on it, I realize that he was just trying to keep my from straying just like the kids I used to play with. At first it was just for fun, but as we grew, I noticed that they were putting money into each game and I almost got hooked too. The kids that I used to play cards with are so different from when we were just innocent kids. I grew up, went to college, got my degrees, and now on my way to getting a license. The kids I used to play with are now fathers without wives, mothers without husbands, and junkies, except for a few. Looking back now, I guess I didn't grow up in such a good neighborhood after all. I was just taken cared of quite well.