Winning Big!
Besides doing this for a living my second longest recurring fantasy is winning the lottery.
There are times when I am on a long car trip or on the subway not distracted by music or a magazine that my mind wanders into this little fantasy of having so much money that I could literally change the financial lives of the people around me. It gets pretty ridiculous. I think about paying off peoples debts, buying houses, cars, etc. I have even thought about peoples reluctance to share that kind of information with me so my work around that was to tell them to send their credit card bills, mortgages, school loans, etc to my accountant and they would all be taken care of without me ever knowing any of the details. Yeah I have thought about this way too much. I can get so worked up that I often feel like calling running home and calling my mom to tell her "You can live anywhere you want and I will buy the house."
The funny thing is, I never play the lottery. Part of it is a social stance thing. The lottery's social ills are fairly well known. The fact that it's a regressive tax mainly on the poor and people without real discretionary income (more here) causes me to have a hard time walking into a store and buying a ticket.
I know intellectually that having $50,000,000.00 would change my life and relationships in ways that I wouldn't really end up liking. I mean if Hurley isn't enough proof that the lotto doesn't always work out the right way, then I don't know what could convince you.
There is something about fantasy that utterly prevents it from becoming a reality. I think it's the fact that in fantasy you are all-knowing and all-powerful and everyone acts like you want, and reacts to you in the way you want them to. In my little fantasy about being rich I am utterly convinced that I wouldn't be corrupted by all that money. The truth is, I am ALREADY corrupted by the wealth I do have, so adding $50 million would be like adding jet-fuel to the fire. I am much better off living in my reality, than focusing on an unachievable fantasy.
Now being in U2 is a totally different thing. There isn't any way this would go to my head right?
3 comments:
This post isn't quite as stirring as my post on which chocolate bar is best but you're on your way.
Seriousoly, the line "there is something about fantasy that utterly prevents it from becoming reality" is right on. This is one of the themes of my favorite book and movie, High Fidelity.
And thanks for pointing out the ills of lottery. Every time I see someone buying one of those tix I want to say to them, "You have a better chance of making it in Major League Baseball!"
I have the same thoughts, planning out the exact methods to rebuild Shiloh, or pay for random educations and med. schools and buy......... Sharla hates it when I do that. I am "allowed" to purchase a ticket if the sum is over 50 mil., which is really fun and depressing because that is when the rest of the freakin state is buying a ticket. I'll let you know if I win.
Jason,
I always say if I ever have big money I will pay for a big makeover of Highland Church of Christ auditorium. Glad you guys are doing well. LEvi is precious.
Tami Weaver
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