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Does lightning strike twice?

By John Howell
Posted 1/19/16

Now that the world’s largest lottery jackpot has been won, we can go back to reality and cease dreaming that we’re going to beat the odds of one to 175 million. Or can we?

I’ve never bought …

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This Side Up

Does lightning strike twice?

Posted

Now that the world’s largest lottery jackpot has been won, we can go back to reality and cease dreaming that we’re going to beat the odds of one to 175 million. Or can we?

I’ve never bought a lottery ticket on my own. I always figured it a futile exercise and counter to the ethic that work, not luck, is how you’re going to get ahead. But taking risks is also an important part of getting ahead, and isn’t that what the lottery is all about?

So when Tim Forsberg questioned if I wanted to join in the office pool to buy tickets, I was in. That was when the jackpot was about $800 million. When there wasn’t a winner, it was an even easier sell at more than $1 billion.

A billion dollars, can you imagine? Of course, the winner wouldn’t get that much, especially in this state. The feds would take their bite, and then the state would want its share. Even so, what would be left was a staggering amount. It even had a non-lottery player like me dreaming.

Actually, my days of gambling go back to childhood, when my father introduced me to horse racing. This is not what you think. There wasn’t a track, but rather a club event, and as it was a special occasion my father decided I could stay up with the “grownups” and watch the racing. I was nine years old. The horses were knee-high wood cutouts that advanced around an oval track laid out in the middle of the room. As I recall, they advanced by a throw of the dice.

I watched a couple of rounds and thought this an easy way to make a buck. I asked my dad if I could play, so he spotted me 50 cents and let me pick a horse. In retrospect, I believe he thought this would be a good lesson and cure me of any thoughts of gambling. To his surprise, my horse won, and suddenly I had about $10, which was a vast sum at the time. He asked me what I wanted to do, pointing out all that $10 could buy. I chose to play again, which troubled him, because he was certain I was going to lose it all. But then, if my reasoning is correct, his rationale was that this would be a lasting lesson.

I was thrilled when he let me decide. I played again, and I won again. Now the amount was over $100, and other players wanted to know what horse the kid was going to pick. I was riding high, too high for my father’s liking. He said it was time to leave, time for bed. The money went into a savings account. I don’t remember if I ever got to spend it, but I remember winning.

We all like dreaming what we would do if we won such vast amounts. I listened to the suggestions of those in the office and those my son Ted shared when, to my surprise, he told me he and his wife had bought two tickets. They came to the conclusion that hitting the jackpot would likely ruin their lives – one way of minimizing the disappointment – but reasoning they could handle being a million-dollar winner.

That wasn’t to be, although a million-dollar winning ticket was sold at Conimicut Liquors on West Shore Road. That information was buried in the story of the three jackpot winners like it was barely a second thought. A million bucks just isn’t what it used to be. Nonetheless, it must have caused quite the stir at the liquor store. So I visited the store Saturday afternoon, expecting to find a steady stream of customers stocking up for the Patriots game and, naturally, buying Powerball tickets from such a “lucky” spot.

I was right about one thing. People were gearing up for the Patriots, but they weren’t interested in Powerball, especially at anything less than millions and millions. Then Judy Baker came in.

“I’ve got a bone to pick with you,” he said to Nick Kelley, who was at the register. He guessed immediately what it was. He hadn’t sold her the million-dollar winning ticket.

“Are you going to buy one today?”

Judy didn’t answer immediately. “Lightning can strike twice,” he said.

Judy was sold, especially when she learned I’d be getting a picture for the Beacon. Perhaps that would make her ticket extra lucky. I hope so. She waved her ticket and cradled her beer as she left the store.

I bought some wine, and as I opened my wallet I thought, why not?

“Yeah, I’ll go for one, too,” I said to Nick. He handed me the yellow ticket. I didn’t even look at the number and slipped it into my wallet, but somehow I was feeling lucky. My father, if only he was here, would have told me it was a wasted $2. He would have been right.

Comments

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  • RISchadenfreude

    When one thinks about what they "waste" their money on daily, whether it's cigarettes, alcohol, a bad meal or movie, etc., it puts the purchase of a lottery ticket in perspective, as long as one can afford it- "wasting" money is often in the eye of the spender.

    We've all heard the stories of fools who blow their small bank account on lottery tickets, or buy $300 worth of tickets and leave the location in a $300 car, or take their hard luck story to a crowdfunding site to get bailed out by some REAL dupes after they don't win.

    It's nice to imagine how you'd be able to help yourself, family, friends and strangers if you suddenly had millions.

    Wednesday, January 20, 2016 Report this

  • Justanidiot

    The lottery is a stupidity tax, the stupider you are, the more you pay.

    Wednesday, January 20, 2016 Report this

  • mthompsondc

    So THAT'S how you bought the Beacon!

    Sunday, January 24, 2016 Report this