Loyalty Programs

I don’t know how I feel about loyalty programs. On one hand, I am very fond of flying on miles supplied by overspending on my United Visa card, and I was recently awarded 75,000 miles by getting the right Mastercard. I also like my Amazon Prime discounted cherries because I wouldn’t pay $6.99 a pound. I even have a box of Plaid Stamps that I've lugged around with me forever - no doubt, when the time comes, my grandchildren will find them and wonder what they were used for (they are also unaware of savings bonds, rotary dials and other staples of my childhood). I ought to leave an explanatory note, but they wouldn't appreciate it.

On the other hand, when it comes to loyalty programs, I can’t shake the feeling that I’m being manipulated, even more than I realize. The perks don’t always feel like loyalty; sometimes it’s more like an invisible hand poking into my backpack, scrambling to find the new blue wallet, removing my credit cards and pushing me towards the house brand of vitamins or the Friendly Skies (wow, Friendly Skies - and I’ve been accused of hyperbole).

It's a bit like grade school when Rosemary said that, if I played with her and not Susan, I'd be invited to her roller skating party. Was Rosemary the founder of loyalty programs? Or was Rosemary honing her extortion skills? This was New Jersey, after all, and her uncle had connections.... ssshhhh.

My son tells me that I do not have an open mind (mostly this accusation is leveled when I suggest that he should have a job that pays actual money). But, let’s say he might also be correct (neither he nor my daughter read this blog, so I can say whatever, even agree with them). Perhaps I’ll expand my horizons and, instead of fighting the concept, I ought to climb on board. So here it is.

Yes, join my loyalty program. As of today, for every 10 blog posts, you will receive more blog posts until you unsubscribe or I run out of complaints. Grab it; you don't get deals like that every day.

Don't forget to buy more copies of Not The Trip We Planned. Once it's a major motion picture, they will probably change the cover to show Emma Thompson (does she do American accents?) and Bette Midler. You want the original.