Powerball Lottery

I played my first ever lottery by buying a lottery ticket for everyone in my house and since I had a $10 bill (they were $2 a pop),  I even considered buying one for my dog until logic finally kicked in.

Yeah, it was a waste of $8 but it was fun to plan what I would do with the money.  I definitely would have kept it a secret and only told Mary and she was in agreement.  I'd then hire a couple of attorneys and accountants so they can all check on each other.  I don't think I'd change my lifestyle much because I've never been the type of person who buys anything new or extravagant when unexpected money comes in.

It's like those people who go crazy when they get their tax rebates and they blow it on TV's and other random stuff.  If you can't buy something like that outright, then you definitely don't need to buy it if extra cash comes your way. But enough rambling.

The point is that a tiny bit of everyone who bought a ticket thought/hoped they would win. But in reality, your chances are about equal to getting a phone book (do they still make those) with everyone's name in the entire United States in it and hoping they would land on YOUR name. Yeah, there were three winning tickets last night, but millions and millions of people who threw their money away.  There's a reason people call it a tax on the stupid.

That's why I love (as well as sometime hate) distance running.  If you want something bad enough and work for it, it may come your way. And if you don't put in the work, keep on dreaming. It's something you have to earn, not something that is given. There's no magic or luck. But with the lottery, all the mental toughness and discipline in the world won't help or hurt your chances at all.

I like the realness of running more than the lottery.