Alright, I admit it, I watch “Wheel of Fortune.” I could blame it on my in-laws, who religiously sit down each night at 7 p.m. to spin their intellects around words and phrases and before and afters. I even took them to see a live taping of the show when it showed up at D.C.’s Constitution Hall. Ironies aside, it was fun to see the whole operation up close, especially how thin Vanna was in person, and find out that she knits between shows. It was reassuring, somehow, to realize that even quip-savvy Pat Sajak has to do a retake once in a while.

I think there was another retake that should have been done on this particular evening. I’m sitting on the couch, doing my best to guess the latest puzzle, when the night’s contestants are introduced. First up is a lovely lady from Houston, in fact, Miss Houston Mom International (or some such beauty queen moniker that I didn’t quite catch). She was perky and smart, and then she told us about her home, with “my two kids and three stepkids….” Don’t think I heard the rest—it was the truth, but it just struck me as somewhat harsh to mention in front of millions of people across the country.

Could she have rephrased somehow: “My husband and I now have five wonderful kids,” “We combined our families with five children between us”? I’ve never had to walk this fine line, but somehow I saw the “step”kids at home, watching, and feeling like second class citizens. Was there tension in their home? Could this have been a chance to ease it, or did this public pronouncement just make it worse? Was I being too sensitive?

It is only a game, this wheel thing, but in the game of life, I think you’d better watch your Ps and Qs a bit more carefully.