If I Win

I have a vice. Well, I probably have quite a few, but there's one I want to describe in this post. I play the lottery. Not just any lottery, the multistate Power Ball lottery. Oh I know that I stand a better chance of being struck by lightning than winning the lottery. So why do I do it?

I like to dream. Having a lottery ticket gives me a chance to dream, to ponder, to plan how I would like to spend the money. I only consider the amount of money that could be received in cash after taxes. To me that's being realistic. Regardless of the amount, it would be more than I've ever had in my life.

Many people win the lottery and admit they don't know what they are going to do with the money. Not me. I have a plan to give away the vast majority of it. When the pot gets up to around $50 million cash, I start making a list. It's about the same all the time. Yes, I'd like to give my children some of it. We would keep some for retirement and that would be less than you might think.

I'd like to help the churches destroyed by Katrina. Wow! If we could contribute a million or so to each of those churches, it would be good. Stewpot in Jackson would get money too. I'd like to establish some college scholarships for students who graduated high school with average grades....a C plus to a B student and worked a part time job to make their own spending money. As long as they make satisfactory progress in college, I'd like to pay their way.

There's a church camp my denomination operates where my wife and I met. There would be money for them too. There's a black minister who has a very small church with growth pains. We've been to his church and thoroughly enjoyed worship there. I'd love to be able to contribute toward their building fund.

Then a non-profit school for emotionally disturbed children, the Jackson Symphony, the Children's Museum, pay off the mortgage on my church and give a bunch to a couple of ministers who have meant a lot to us in our lives.

And once in a while, I'd like to be able to leave a waitress or waiter a $100 tip for giving us great service with a smile. Not all the time, just once in a while.

If I win the lottery, I have plans. And I think my wife and I would get a tremendous amount of joy from being able to help others. Shucks, it's a bunch of fun just thinking about it.