Thinking With Your Powerballs

I have been 'blessed' with a very active imagination. This lovely gift has caused me trouble on more than one occasion. The real trouble comes when my imagination over powers my tiny brain and I have a difficult time distinguishing the difference between real and not so real. It's a good thing I never played D&D, I'd probably have ended up like Tom Hanks character in Mazes And Monsters. ( Any of you old enough to remember that made for TV movie? )

Ok, before I lose you all on this random train of thought, lets rant about something that I know doesn't only affect me.

The lottery is evil! 'You can buy anything in this world with money' and for this reason we all do anything we must in pursuit of the mighty deutsche mark. Working sucks, robbing a bank is too hard, and being born to a rich family is no longer an option. So the lottery gives all of us normal people the hope of being wealthy without much effort on our part. All we have to do is spend a couple bucks to buy the magic ticket. Twice a week we are given another chance at our fortune. And we know that each time it is "our turn" to win.

I once stood in a line at a Circle K. At the front of this line was a lady that was buying a gallon of milk. I noticed this lady had pulled up in a Pinto. The hood was primer grey, the majority of the body was a faded candy apple red, and the driver side door was three shades of blue. The tires were all different brands, but they all looked as bald as Kojak. The lady was dressed in hot pink spandex and a half turn AC DC t-shirt. Did I fail to mention she was of the Weight Watchers drop-out dimensions? So anyway, this lady puts the gallon of milk on the counter and I see the cashier head to the lottery machine. Next thing I notice is the total on the cash register; $202.85! Holy crap, that is some expensive milk!

Admittedly I don't think the lottery really is evil. I think they do a lot for the community, especially in the public education system. BUT combine my lovely imagination with this seemingly tangible "golden apple" of instant wealth and it can cause some conflict. I don't buy a ticket for every drawing. I usually reserve my indulgences in the realm of fantasy for a jackpot of $100,000,000 or more. And then I just buy the single ticket, because it only takes one to win. But from the time I purchase my ticket until the day I realize I didn't win, my mind constantly wanders on thoughts of what I am going to do when I win. Notice when I win. My simple dreams of splurging on my family and friends are fun and harmless. However, I find myself subconsciously saying that the answers to my very real problems will come in the form 6 balls. Even as I type this rant, I am struggling to come to a logical resolution to several major issues in my life because I have a stupid piece of paper in my pocket that is holding the answer to all my troubles!

I'm not asking for your pity. I have been able to maintain enough cognizant reasoning skills to prevent my imagination from allowing me to spend money as though I had won the lottery. But I do know of, and personally know, a few people that are not so lucky. I have a friend that is in the process of losing his house. I don't know all the reasons behind his situation, but I do know that without fail he purchases a lottery ticket every Wednesday and Saturday, every week, every month, every year for many moons. He, too, is convinced that any day now his balls will come up.

So here is my rant to me and everyone else out there that has this problem. YOU WILL NEVER EVER WIN THE LOTTERY!!!!! I need to tell myself this every day. And if by the grace of God (or by some deal made with the dark one) I do someday win, then so be it. But it will not happen, ever, so stop thinking about it!

Cya in 7