Wisdom Comes With Age: Myth Busted!

Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman

After all my years as a functioning adult, how can I still be so gullible? Isn’t wisdom supposed to come with age? If only Jamie and Adam of MythBusters had tested that theory, I’d have been better prepared.

Don’t suppress the Spirit, and don’t stifle those who have a word from the Master. On the other hand, don’t be gullible. Check out everything, and keep only what’s good. Throw out anything tainted with evil. ~ Thessalonians 5:19-22 (MSG)

Anyway, here’s the scoop. Recently, I wanted to buy some moisturizer, but didn’t know which one to get. In my defense, I dislike shopping and making decisions, so when an opportunity came along to skip all that, I thought it was a tiny miracle wrapped in God’s grace.

“How did the opportunity come along?” you ask.

I saw an ad online somewhere. (And, no, I don’t remember where. My husband, David, has lectured me on that already.) The ad caught my attention, first because it said “FREE trial!” Need I go on?

Did you catch the small print? “Simulated imagery. Results not typical.”

The second hook was “anti-aging.” I’m probably 30 40 years too late for that, but I couldn’t find one that claimed “reverse-aging.”  I reasoned that the “anti-redness” and “pore-refining” agents couldn’t hurt.

The third reason clinched the deal! All the gazillionaire members of the Shark Tank reality show had invested in this amazing product. How could I go wrong with the sharpest business minds in the country backing it?

Can you say “too good to be true”?

“How did you find that out?” you ask.

When David opened the credit card bill three weeks later. “Sweetie, did you order an ounce of anti-aging cream for $92.00?”

Indignant, I answered, “I most certainly did not. I ordered an ounce of anti-aging cream for FREE.”

FRONT: Mark Cuban, Kevin O’Leary, and Lori Greiner. BACK: Daymond John, Clarice G. James (newest investor) and Robert Herjavec

“Okaay …. how about an under eye cream for another $92.00?”

“Hey! They said they’d throw that in for nothing.”

In less than 60 seconds online, David found a number of consumer warnings about this scam. Apparently, I’d missed the fine print in the ad, which said I could try it FREE for 15 days. If I was unhappy, I had to send the free samples back, or I’d be charged.

Instantly my head began to ache, like common sense was hitting it with a hammer, yelling, “Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!” What was I thinking?

David spent the next few weeks on the phone with the scammers, the credit card company, and the Better Business Bureau until the matter was settled. End result: All charges were deleted from our credit card. Most importantly, my husband held no charges against me. Now that’s what a tiny miracle wrapped in God’s grace looks like.

“Did you learn your lesson?” you ask.

I sure did. But one good thing came out of this whole mess. An FBI agent contacted me to work undercover for them in their White Collar Division. They’re doing a background check on me now. All I had to do was give their agent–real nice guy, he was–my mother’s maiden name, my date of birth, and my social security number. I get paid $92.00 for every tip I send them.

Click here for more Beauty Tips and Lessons on Being Gullible.

Now God has us where he wants us, with all the time in this world and the next to shower grace and kindness upon us in Christ Jesus. ~ Ephesians 2:7 (MSG)

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    The Conversation

  1. Elsie Bush says:

    Aye, yai yai! Too funny.

    *From:* Clarice James [mailto:comment-reply@wordpress.com] *Sent:* Monday, May 29, 2017 10:25 AM *To:* elsie_bush@wycliffe.org *Subject:* [New post] Wisdom Comes With Age: Myth Busted!

    Clarice James posted: ” After all my years as a functioning adult, how can I still be so gullible? Isn’t wisdom supposed to come with age? If only Jamie and Adam of MythBusters had tested that theory, I’d have been better prepared. Don’t suppress the Spirit, and don’t stifle “

  2. janetgrunst says:

    You’re a hoot, Clarice.
    I suspect many of us have bought some fancy cream expecting (or hoping) to undo years of aging and sun damage and been disappointed.
    Honest folks have to remember that not everyone else shares the same values.
    You have a sweet husband to help undo the mess.

  3. The worst for me was a temptation to sign up for a free, really beautiful mobile home on Facebook. I left the ad for a minute but was so tempted I went back. Couldn’t find it anywhere. Shortly after someone put a note onl line that it was a scam. Facebook took it off I assume between when I saw it and went back. Why did I, a woman in the world long enough to get the senior discount, believe that someone would hand me a mobile home? It wasn’t a contest. They just sweetly wanted to give it to me. Sigh. Thank God for the Facebook police.

  4. Barbara medeiros says:

    Thanks for Sharing Clarice, I was so tempted when they said you never have to wear make up again. They claim to be such a great business people to and look how they get their business. You crack me up with the FBI deal. You had me there for minute. That David of the office is a real keeper.

    • Barbara medeiros says:

      I was voice typing. That David of the office came out of nowhere. I think I meant that David of yours.

      • I think I want to believe some of these scam artists because I don’t want to think people would go to that much trouble to make money. Seems like they’re smart enough to hold down a real job. And, yes, David is a keeper. My mother’s exact words.

  5. Adrienne says:

    Ha ha! Excellent writing and agree sense of humor. So glad that your husband got to the bottom of the scam and you got your $92 back.