That One in a Million Chance

I know the odds are against me, but I still have a small glimmer of hope each time I see a lottery billboard touting the millions of dollars that await some lucky winner. On our drive home from Virginia Beach last weekend, we had passed several of the billboards. Being the sucker for marketing that I am, I had to buy a ticket when we stopped for gas.

Needless to say, we didn't win. But for some reason, anytime I buy a lotto ticket, I really think I am going to win. I don't know if you call would call that being optomistic or deluisional. I only buy one or two lottery tickets a year, but it seems like Bryan and I always have the same conversation that usually goes a little something like this:

Mindy: "What would you do if we won?"
Bryan: "Buy a high-rise condo somewhere. What would you do?"
Mindy: "Buy a house in Park City, stop working and write a novel. Would you quit your job?"
Bryan: "Well, the jackpot is $35 million, which if you take the lump sum is only like $17 million and then half of that would go to taxes, so we'd really only end up with about $8 million."
Mindy: "Hmmm...I guess $8 million really isn't that much."

I think we have that conversation to make ourselves feel better when we don't win. As though we wouldn't take $8 million or that the money wouldn't change our lives. Either way, we don't have to worry about it. At least not yet...maybe if we buy another ticket... Wait...isn't that how addiction starts?