I was recently engaged in a dialogue with some work colleagues. One of them had gone to the local deli to buy their weekly Lotto ticket. Their exhuberant optimism, so shiny and genuine, seemed to indicate their feeling that the odds might just be in their favor this week. My Dad had that same glimmer whenever he'd fill out the Publisher's Clearing House drawing every year. I think he was convinced that one day he would open up the door and find Ed McMahon holding aloft an oversized check. In some of us, hope springs eternal.
So the group pressed this fellow: so what would you do if you won the millions? His answer, I imagine, is pretty consistent with what most people would say. "I'd quit my job," he said "I'd buy a big house and a new car and give some of it to my family and I'd like to travel.." and so on. Most of the group concured they'd do the same thing. Then I spoke, the voice of doom, "Well, the odds are pretty remote you'd win so it's pointless to plan your future around it." Eyes pressed down on me with scorn for the dream killer that I am. Well, it's true although I probably should have kept my big mouth shut.
I got to thinking about this as I drove home: If I won a lottery, what would I do? I'd probably never win the lottery because I never play it. I'd rather spend my coin on something tangible that I can eat, listen to, smell or wear.
OK, OK, I debated inside my head, but if I did...
-I would NOT quit my job. I mean, I need something to do with my time. And I like my job.
-I'd donate a chunk to public TV providing they stopped airing those stupid pledge breaks.
-I would hire someone to clean my apartment and do the laundry. I am so sick of cleaning toilets and doing the dishes.
-I would actually make a reservation at Nobu, Per Se, Daniel and every other NYC restaurant so I could try the food at least once.
-I'd buy a cottage somewhere. But I think we're going to do that anyway.
-I'd buy a Hermes Birkin bag. Just one. And a pair of black patent Christian Leboutain pumps.
-I'd buy that overpriced but gorgeous antique Chinois wedding bed that I saw at ABC Carpet & Home.
And that's really about it.
What would you do if you won?
Greens Gotta Be Spicy
- Chicken And Waffles
- Summit, NJ, NJ, United States
- Well, I'm Damn Fascinating.
8 comments:
I would quit my job. But first, I would have 10 cases of Asturian cider, fabada, cabrales, and tapas flown in from Spain, bring in a truckload of sawdust and some day workers and build an honest-to-god sidrería in my office.
When the bosses came down to see why everyone was drunk, happy, and loud, and why my office floor was covered in cider and wine, I'd tell them that we needed a goddamn pick-me-up around here and scream ¡Puxa Asturies! until security arrived.
After that I'd just play it by ear, I guess.
I would quit my job, but then I'd find some other job that I actually like and the pay wouldn't matter. Maybe be an assistant at a bakery, or work at a liquor store and learn all about wines.
I love my house, so I think I would keep that and just do a few small renovations. A screened-in porch out back, maybe a hot tub.
I would buy the summer house on Peaks Island, Maine that we always go to. It was once owned by my husband's ex-in-laws, but they have since sold it and now we rent it from the new owners.
I would pay off all of my mother's credit card debt and buy her a nice new car, and maybe a cute little house on Cape Cod.
And I would definitely travel. Europe, Australia, Alaska, Hawaii... they are all out there waiting for me!
First I'd rent a huge house on the river for a month or so & invite all my friends to drop in for a vacation. It would be like The Big Chill without the suicide to bring us all together. I would keep up the annual tradition for as long as the money held out.
I'd then go back to "school" to take all the classes that interest me. Wilderness Rescue, American Sign Language, Ceramics, Brewing, international cooking.
I'd get a weekly massage. I'd have the yard re-landscaped into an English cottage garden. I'd convert the garage into a "man room" with kegerator, large screen TV, la-z-boys, darts, pool table etc.
I'd fund summer camp scholarships.
I do play the lotto & have big hopes to win a piece of the 280M mega lotto tonight.
I would hire TH to sing at a private party at my house and when he arrived, I'd be the only one home.(I always manage to bring it back to him, don't I? It's a gift.)
I'd buy that house on the LI Sound and invite you and all our friends to come for the weekend.
I would invest most of it. I'd purchase a bigger and newer house and I'd be able to send my kids to college without any worries.
I have such cool readers. I hope you ALL win.
Wait! Wait for me!
I would go to Paris and rent an apartment in the 7th arrondissement. I'd stay there as long as I wanted. When I got homesick I'd go back to the states, where I'd have a house in Madison, Georgia, an apartment in NYC and another in Frisco. I'd spend some time in each, and maybe volunteer at museums or bookstores or something when I felt the need to work.
I'd donate money to preservation organizations so they could buy large areas of greenspace. I'd also donate to historical preservation places so they could buy up old houses and estates and keep them 1. intact, and 2. safe from Sprawlmart.
I'd give a lot more money to cancer research and places for homeless animals, cause that's just wrong. And then I'd go back to Paris and eat crepes and drink kirs till I got sick.
:-)
I wouldn't quit my job just yet, I'm simply not finished educating students about the 'real' world. But, I would hire markers to free up some time to work in my passionate field of social justice.
In about a year, I'd start working with youth to help them achieve a sense of self-worth. I'm so tired of asking students opinions and having them reply that their opinions don't count - sure they do!
I'd probably stay in the family homestead but make some major renovations namely a whirlpoor and solarium.
I'd buy one of those cute little cars which help cut the greenhouse effects, donate to environmental groups, promote awareness of the beauty of cultural diversity and generally be a pain in the ass to politicians.
I'm working on our family tree but can't get further back then 1644 so I'd be off to France to see if I could dig up (not literally) long and, hopefully, not lost relatives.
I think I should start buying tickets!
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