Who hasn’t been convinced that they’re destined to be the next super-lottery winner? I was but after 20 years of only winning small pots (highest was $100) I figured I needed a new strategy. This time, being so lottery-savvy now, I asked my wife to go into the convenience store and told her exactly which lottery ticket to ask for. I was confident that with her “winning ways” she would become “first-time” lucky and we would be rich.
…Nope! Didn’t work, not even for a free ticket. Now what do I do? Send her in again? Ask for a divorce? Hmm…
OK, OK, I’m kidding. I won’t send her in again. And for everyone who likes a good love story I won’t divorce her because she has been my lottery ticket in life and has helped me become the person I am today (and, arguably, I’m a good person).
Why Are We Fixated On Lotteries?
Money…dummy! It’s fast and easy and only cost you (me) 6 bucks to play – twice a week – 8 times a month – 92 times a year. And that equals $552 per year. That’s not bad. And because I like to double my chances I actually play two different lotteries, which equals $1100 a year.
I blame it on habit; on certain days of the week my job is to walk into that convenience store and put my money in their cash register. “Ticket please”. I always tell them I’ll share any big winnings with them…surely that will play in my favor with the lottery gods.
Unfortunately, as with any sort of gambling, there are those who always buy tickets that really shouldn’t. I don’t like hearing about people who used their last dollar to buy a ticket when they actually walked into the store to buy bread for their children. That’s sad and misguided.
Who’s Making the Moola?
Governments, plain and simple. They have many “programs” that they tout as benefitting from the sale of lottery tickets and, while some might be legit, how many of us actually trust our governments to spend the money wisely? Can I hear another “Hmm…”
Oh sure, we always hear about somebody winning on the other side of the country, where the people number in the millions. Of course they’ll win, they have a better chance. Perhaps I need to move there so I can become one of the winners. (Oops, wife popped her head into the room again and it’s a big fat “no”.)
The Inevitable Question – Why Do We Play The Lottery?
Simple…can’t win if you don’t play and if you don’t play you’re stuck with the same old same old. NOT! Sure, you won’t win if you don’t play but I think many of us play because we dream of a better..and easier…life. It’s as simple as that.
I’m a big believer in better and easier, who isn’t, and I’m sure that at some point it will be my turn to win…and another year passes…and another…and…
You get the picture (I’ll buy you the frame when I win some money). We dream and wait for something better. Surely a few million dollars will help us live a better life, be a better person, and all that. But you know something, we have that ability now, with or without the lottery. But yet we act like we won’t be whole or complete without our wallets oozing gobs of money.
So here’s what I’m going to do: continue playing the lottery (cuz you just never know) but I’m also going to look at what I have now and say, “You know what, I’m doing pretty good”. And yes, my wife just walked by…what else would I say.
But seriously, I’m going to look for one thing in my life and focus on that for a week and (get ready for it) count my blessings for they are many. But I’ll just go with one for now. And here’s what it won’t be…asking my wife to go in a buy a lottery ticket again! Jeesh, the ideas us guys come up with
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