Mega Millions

Conversation has been buzzing about the billion dollar jackpot, and obviously Andy and I didn't win it this time.  On the whole, I scoff at the lottery, if I'm honest.  I've always thought that it was a lot of people looking for an easy way out.  But I've been revisiting this idea recently, enough that Andy and I bought a ticket.

If we put all of our hopes into winning it big, that is a problem.  If we assert that the only way to be happy is to have that big jackpot, that's a problem.  If we put more money toward that than we can afford to waste, that's an issue.  If we're in a situation where we depend on it, we need help.

But we put $4 in this time, because it is fun to be part of the wistful speculation.  We made sure to put no real hopes in winning.  We could have spent that on a couple of chocolate bars and enjoyed them (before feeling guilty about the sugar) for the same cost.  But instead we joined in the conversation, a collective dream with others on just what we would do with an unexpected large sum of money.

Here are some common themes as Andy and I speculated:

• 10% to the church--I sit on the finance committee, so I have a couple ideas on where to help direct it
• Save the amount that we know we would pay in taxes on it, so that we aren't in trouble later
• Pay off my student debt
• Seriously look at moving to Norway sooner rather than later
• Set aside an uncertain amount to donate, a couple of organizations and individuals in mind
• Save at least a quarter of the rest
• And, yes, we'd have to buy something fun for the hell of it, the answer to which changes with our respective moods but nothing egregious--no new Aston Martin or yacht.  
• Still go to work the next day

Yes, we'd go back to work the next weekday.  We still need health insurance (remember that I'm still pretty damn expensive to keep alive), and we still want to continue to be productive in some capacity.  We're content in our current positions as it stands now, but knowing that we would have the freedom to move as we need to, that's probably the best part in my estimation of things.  The millennial cross to bear, my 37K of student debt, it makes us feel stuck even as we continue to make progress.  No longer needing to worry about that would be truly freeing.  To know that options exist, even if I don't want to take them, that is a beautiful thing to have and the feeling that I most want.  Removing some of the day-to-day worry, that gives me far more joy than some extra bling.  

So, $4 bought some harmless dreaming, which was a nice, little reprieve.  And that is okay.