Mega Millions. . . When the Dream Comes True

One in 1,766,000. Those are the odds of winning the Mega Millions jackpot. Wow! Sounds impossible and yet millions of people - people just like me - buy lottery tickets week after week dreaming about what they'll do when their numbers come in. Numbers get drawn and dreams get shattered. But do those millions of folks give up when the odds-being-against-em hits em squarely in the face? No, no they don't. Instead, they return to their local conveinece store or grocery store or gas station a day or two later and buy again. And again they start planning what they'll do when their lucky numbers come in on Saturday night. Buy this, buy that, pay off this bill, pay off that, quit the job, go on a cruise, invest in the stock market, share some with family. So many things, so many dreams. What would I do? What if 2, 8, 12, 15, 51 and 55 (my lucky numbers) came in? Would I be prepared? Would I remain calm? Would I quietly run to the lottery office to collect my winnings, or would I let my excitement overrule my logic and start calling everyone I know to share the good news? I like to think that I have enough smarts, enough control that I could keep it quiet, but I'm not so sure I could. It would be a wonderful, joyous, dream-come-true occassion that I'm sure I'd want to tell. Tell someone. Tell anyone. Just tell. Ok, I think I'll just get real with myself and acknowledge my weakness. I have a big mouth. It's hard to keep a secret, especially when it's mine. So I'd tell. I'm sure I would. But who? Who would I really want to know of my new millionaire status? Those folks that wouldn't take advantage. But who are they? Family? Friends? Enemies? Strangers? Enemies would be a safe bet. They wouldn't dare try and take advantage, would they? I'm just about mean enough that I'd love nothing more than to tell an enemy that I just struck it rich and they should expect none of my new found wealth. That would feel really good, wouldn't it? Ok, maybe not. That's just mean. So I won't tell my enemies. What about my family? Would I? Should I? Let them in on the secret that I can't be quiet about? Or should I just send them cash annoymously from time to time? Hmm. Yeah, I'd have to tell them. I'm a blabber mouth. No way I could keep this news from my family. Just couldn't do it. So I'd tell mom and dad and Curt and Jo and papa and Dian and Dan and Will and lil Zack. Little Zack wouldn't have a clue what I was talking about, but I'd tell him anyway. Just to see him grin. That happy baby grins about everything! So I know he'd grin at me as I whispered in his ear that his grannie Karen just won millions of dollars. What about friends? Would I tell them? Yeah, I'm sure I would. Probably not before I collected, but soon thereafter. I don't have alot of friends - real friends - so there'd only be a handful of folks I'd share my good news with. Who would the short list include? Nancy, Stacy, Kathy, Charlie, Michael, Susan, Julie and probably Effie depending on which way the wind was blowing that day. As for complete strangers? Hmm. I'm sure I wouldn't tell strangers - not outright anyway. I'd just let passerbys see my joy, see my happiness and they could draw their own conclusions about the "whys" behind it. Now for the million dollar question. What would I do - really do - with millions of dollars? The answer to this is much easier then the question about who I'd tell. I'd buy a cabin with a huge porch where Shannon and I could live and love and enjoy all the days of our lives. I'd pay off all of our debt and take a vow to never finance anything ever again. I'd buy Shannon a new motorcyle and a couple of horses. I know how much he loves - and misses - horses, so I'd buy him at least two. I'm sure I'd share some of the money with family because it would help them and it would make me feel really good to be able to do it. Win/win! I'd invest enough that Shannon and I could live comfortably the rest of our lives without having to work if we didn't want to. I'd buy an RV so we could start traveling throughout the USA seeing all the places we've talked and dreamed about. Last, but not least, I'd loan money to members of KAVA to give folks a hand up. In other words, I'd have some fun with the money, protect my future and invest in humanity. So that's what I'd do. Correction. . . that's what I'll do. I fully expect to win. . . any day now. Come on lucky 2, 8, 12, 15, 51 and 55! Mama's got plans. . . big plans!