The Lottery

  Why do people play the lottery? Everyone knows you stand a better chance of getting struck by lightning while dancing the Samba in your sister’s nightgown, twice, than making any kind of killing in the lottery. I don’t normally gamble: cards, horses, slots, table games, dogs, craps,… hold no attraction for me; so why play the lottery? It seems to be my only vice, I don’t drink, smoke, cheat on my wife, or carouse with a rugby team, so why?
  Coffee — You get up, wander into the kitchen, rinse out the pot, fill it with fresh water, measure out the coffee, grind it, put it into the basket, flip the switch, monitor the gurgle and hiss, enjoy the aroma, pour into the mug, spoon in the sugar, measure out the cream, stir… and then the reward… the first sip of hot, perfectly brewed, sugared, and creamed COFFEE. There is nothing better, the next sip won’t be as good, and another pot brewed later in the day will be good, but, not as good. You have to wait another whole day before you can enjoy the sensation of that first sip of coffee.
  But was it really the coffee? Could a cup of coffee be that good? Probably not. Do you remember Christmas Eve? There had to be at least one Christmas that had you excited, vibrating with anticipation. Anticipation. When that Christmas finally unfolded was it as good as the wait for it to arrive, or was it something less? Was the coffee that good, or was it the anticipation that was good?
  I buy my lottery tickets, put them in my pocket and forget about them, but every once in awhile I let my mind wander… what if? The funny thing is that winning is not part of the anticipation. I have talked with the girls at the store where I buy my tickets and always joke that I will come back and “share” with them when I win. In my mind I can see myself walking up to each in-turn and handing them an envelope with their share, watching the disbelief, the realization, the joy… I imagine myself knocking on the door where some good friends of mine live and handing them the deed for their house – paid in full, tossing them the keys to the new truck that’s parked in the driveway, and giving them the trust papers that provide them with an income for the rest of their lives. Imagine…
  Anticipation. I don’t expect that I will ever win the lottery, but I get a lot of pleasure thinking about all the great things I could do if I did win. Am I gambling? No, I’m enjoying that long anticipated first sip of coffee. I think I’ll go check my tickets. 7/18/06