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f ROM THE THE EDITOR ROM Have you you earned earned Have your sleep? r sl eep? you "Onceyou've you've earned earnedaareputation reputation as asan an early earlyriser, riser, you you can can sleep sleep 'til 'ti/ noon." noon." "Once - AnIrish Irishproverb proverb -An MM husband, his mother, his father, yyhusband, his mother, his father, andhis hisfive fivebrothers brothersand andsisters sistersare are and all early risers. I know that many all early risers. I know that many weekend days, days, Russell Russell isis long-gone long-gone weekend before I even wake up . In fact, thinkhe he before I even wake up. In fact, I Ithink is up, dressed, and gone before the sun is up, dressed, and gone before the sun up! comesup! comes Since fromaafamily familyofofearly earlybirds, birds, Since heheisisfrom I get very little sympathy when I complain I get very little sympathy when I complain that some some phone phone call call woke woke me me up up atat aa that mere 11 a.m . My mother-in-law even mere 11 a.m. My mother-in-law even presented me with a plaque that reads: presented me with a plaque that reads: " I'd enjoy enjoy the the day day more more ifif itit started started "I'd later." later." Now I'll I'll admit admit that that II have have made made an an Now honest, or at least made an effort to make honest, or at least made an effort to make theweekend weekendlast lastby bygetting gettingup upearly. early.II the remember that day well. We were going remember that day well. We were going to go to the bank, eat breakfast, and then to go to the bank, eat breakfast, and then visit my mother-in-law. OK, plans made, visit my mother-in-law. OK, plans made, westart startout. out. Too Tooearly earlyfor forthe thebank, bank,and and we can't go eat because we have no we we can't go eat because we have no money yet. money yet. Wedecide decidetotovisit visithis hismom, mom,who whosends sends We us off to rescue one of my husband's us off to rescue one of my husband's sisterswhose whosecar carhas hasbroken brokendown. down. We We sisters onlytorunoutof gas. (We were start off, start off, only to run out of gas. (We were goingtotofill fillititup upafter aftergoing goingtotothe thebank.) bank.) going We call my father-in-law who brings us We call my father-in-law who brings us some gas so we can go get my some gas so we can go get my sister-in-law. sister-in-law. IOPLAY PLAYMETER/November METER/November1990 1990 10 "Honey,"IIask, ask, "is "isthis thiswhat whatIIhave have "Honey," been missing all this time? If it is, then been missing all this time? If it is, then II canhonestly honestlysay saythat thatI Iwill willsleep sleep'til 'tilnoon noon can next weekend with a good heart!'' next weekend with a good heart!" Things have changed a bit since school Things have changed a bit since school started. My15-year-old 15-year-olddaughter daughterisisgoing going started. My my to a new school just a few miles from to a new school just a few miles from my office, so I drop her off in the morning. office, so I drop her off in the morning. Myhusband, husband,who whoworks workson onthe theriver riverand and My is home for a week and at work for is home for a week and at work for aa week, doesn't doesn'thave haveto toget getup upearly earlyto todo do week, anything useful on his week home, so he anything useful on his week home, so he has been sleeping late. has been sleeping late. Even though though II have have caught caught him him still still Even snoozingway waypast pastnine, nine,ititisn't isn'tlike likehe's he ' s snoozing really aa late late sleeper sleeper because because he he has has aa really reputation of being an early riser He reputation of being an early riser. . He could sleep 'til noon every day and still could sleep 'til noon every day and still notalter alterhis hisestablished establishedimage. image.Here HereI Iam am not leaving my house at 7 a.m., which means leaving my house at 7 a.m., which means I'mup uppretty prettydarn darnearly, early,but butI Iwill willalways always I'm be known as a late sleeper. be known as a late sleeper. Our industry industry established established aa reputation reputation Our many years ago ago that that isis very very difficult difficult to to many years change. Although we are making conchange. Although we are making considerablestrides stridestoward towardrespectability, respectability, siderable that old image still rears its ugly head octhat old image still rears its ugly head occasionally . A reputation is defined as casionally. A reputation is defined as "overallquality qualityor orcharacter characteras asseen seenor or "overall judged by people in general.'' As you can judged by people in general." As you can see, it doesn't necessarily have to be see, it doesn't necessarily have to be true-just what people judge it to be. true-just what people judge it to be. At the the recent recent North North Carolina Carolina state state At show, the association board announced show, the association board announced that itit was was taking taking aa firm firm stand stand against against that 8-liner machines. Pretty bold for an an 8-liner machines. Pretty bold for "If we don't police association. Why? association. Why? "If we don't police ourselves, we we get get policed," policed,' ' the the board board ourselves, explained. explained. Howtrue truethat thatis. is .Although Althoughthere thereisisnot not How a problem in the state with the machines a problem in the state with the machines rightnow, now,there thereisisaalot lotof ofconcern concernthat that right claiming the machines are for amusement claiming the machines are for amusement onlyisisstretching stretchingthe thetruth truthjust justtoo toomuch. much . only Operators know that once they get the Operators know that once they get the reputationofoftrying tryingtotoskirt skirtthe thelaw, law,ititwill will reputation staywith withthem themaalong longtime. time. stay I think we all have to remember remember that that I think we all have to each one of us is but a part of a total each one of us is but a part of a total package called the coin-machine incalled the coin-machine inpackage dustry. Each of our reputations adds to the dustry. Each of our reputations adds to the collective judgment from the public in collective judgment from the public in general.So Solet's let'sall allwork worktogether togetherand andfor for general. heaven's sake, start getting up a little heaven's sake, start getting up a little earlier! 0 earlier! Valerie Cognemich Valerie Cognevich Cognevich Valerie Editor Editor