Wednesday, January 13, 2016

Powerball Madness – Perchance to Dream

First appeared on Blogcritics.

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Okay, all of you out there holding Powerball tickets, I am one of you. Hoping to bid adieu to the financial cares of this world, we all embrace the mantra “You have to be in it to win it” and buy this little piece of paper. Madness some will say, but for others it’s the stuff of champagne wishes and caviar dreams as Robin Leach used to say on Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous.


Here in New York City the place has gone Powerball bonkers. Everyone is walking around with a little piece of possible heaven in her pocketbook or his wallet, going about business and thinking, “I win tonight; tomorrow I tell the boss what I really think.”

There is no rational explanation to anyone believing he or she can win. The odds of that little ticket in your pocket having winning numbers are 1 in 290 million. Yet, despite the staggeringly impossibility of it all, we live in hope that this is it – the big one that will change our lives.

So, like you, I have thought about what to do with all this dough. So on to some of the things I will think about doing with my big jackpot. Hey, remember, even with $1.5 billion dollars you can’t do everything listed here.
  1. Buy the New York Mets
A long-time dream to steer the fate of my favorite team, becoming the owner would certainly guarantee that there would never be a travesty of trading a franchise player like Tom Seaver again. Oh, and I would get Daniel Murphy back on the first day.
  1. Buy an Island
I would get some real estate off the coast of someplace exotic and warm all year round. I would build a small castle there and invite my family and friends for visits to my fantasy island. Oh, and I would wear a white jacket, sit in a wicker chair drinking colorful drinks, and hire some guy who sounds just like Herve Villechaiz to say “The plane, the plane” every time a flight came to bring my visitors.
  1. Set Aside for the Kids
I would put a nice nest egg aside for my children. They will get it when they are 21 with strings attached – they must use the money to fulfill their dreams, live well, and try to do some good for this world.
  1. Donate
I would give away a substantial chunk to some to my favorite charities, to my church, and to family members.
  1. Open Vic’s Socratic School
Imagine a school with no tests, no final grades, and no report cards, devoted to learning and questioning and understanding. Open and free to any student applying, I would hire the best teachers who would prefer the exploration of each student’s potential without testing him or her to death (or boring them to it).
  1. Trip to Outer Space
Here’s where I get to fulfill my Star Trek wishes and Star Wars dreams (yes, you can be a fan of both). I want to take a spin around the moon and trip the light fantastic on Mars. After I plant a flag on the Red Planet, I’ll head back home with a handful of red dust I’ll keep in a jar by the door. Who is it for? All the looney people like I am.
  1. Lunch with the Surviving Beatles
I would pay what it takes to get to sit down with Paul and Ringo. Over some Arby’s sandwiches and curly fires, I’d like to get to know them and take a few selfies. Afterwards we will take a ride on my private jet to Liverpool, go to the Cavern Club, and sing a few ditties together there and have a pint or two.
  1. Find a Cure
I would like to fund some doctors who are committed to curing what ails us all. There are too many illnesses to mention, and rather than supporting one issue I’d like to see if doctors could research why we are susceptible to coming down with something and find a way to eradicate it. There has to be one thing, one pernicious element that if eliminated could solve all our problems. At least I will pay these people to try to find it.
  1. Run For President
Hey, if guys like Bernie Sanders and Donald Trump can do it, why couldn’t I? I would run on an alarmingly simple platform – I have no political party, no agenda, and no backers to be beholden too. I will promise to work for peace with all peoples and all nations, to explore every way to save the environment on the planet, and to make sure there is quality of life for all Americans. I will never win but at least I can say that I tried.
  1. World Walkabout
Throwing all concerns to the wind, I would do old Crocodile Dundee one infinitely better and truly see the world by walking. I would walk as long and as far as I could, through all countries to meet people, to spread good cheer, and to learn about myself along the way. You never really know a place until you have walked through it, so I would start here in New York and make my way west, eventually over the Bering Strait (I suppose I’ll need a sturdy chunk of ice to get across) and keep going as far as I can go.

ball1Ah, the stuff that dreams are made from – all made possible by that little Powerball ticket. I am sure you have some exciting ideas of your own for the big jackpot.  Please share them if you will in the comments.

I wish you all good luck as you wait for the numbers that will change someone’s life (maybe yours) forever. Most of us will probably be back where we are today tomorrow morning, but some lucky person or persons could be sleeping in late tomorrow.  Sweet dreams!

*Photos are of my tickets sans my “lucky” numbers.

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