The Winning Numbers !
Oh Boy!
Did I Pick 'Em?!
Did I win a beezillion million dollars?
Why, no!
BUT . . . .
If I did . . . .
Does everybody play this game?
The "What if I won The Lottery" Game?
I know some of you may have issues with the lottery, and I may share some of those with you.
But let's not talk about those; be they moral, political, or whatever; as valid as they may be.
Instead I want to play in the world of fantasy.
I'm 61; friends I grew up with are retiring.
Folks are beginning to ask if I'm planning on retiring. I am, I guess, but not anytime soon. There was a time when I thought I'd be retiring at 62. There are a number of reasons why I'm not going to be doing that.
Number One - There is, of course, the whole heath care thing - that's a biggie. And believe me, kiddies, as you get older it becomes even bigger.
There are other reasons, including the fact that I did have a period in my adult life - only one - when I wasn't working. It was when we moved to Boone from Atlanta. And oooooh - it was glorious.
For awhile.
Surprisingly, only for awhile.
I spent a long time unpacking boxes and getting the new house the way I wanted it. I was able to spend time with my Mom. I had time to cook the kind of meals I wanted to and I even had time to keep the house as tidy and clean as I wanted. But then - - - all that got boring as hell. Not yet having discovered the joys I now know, love, treasure and cherish of blogging, and, admittedly, being at a low point in my creative life, I re-discovered daytime TV and picked up watching my favorite soap opera. Even though I had not seen it for many years, it seemed like only yesterday. John and Marlena were still there, and so were Bo and Hope. I was hooked.
Soon I was watching the soap that came on before Days of Our Lives. And pretty soon I was even watching the one that came on after Days of Our Lives. And all those nice meals? pfft! No time to cook - I had soaps to watch! And that nice clean tidy house? pfft! No time to clean - I had my "stories" to watch.
Time to go back to work!
If, however, we were wealthy and I could afford to do all things I would like to do without working, it would be a whole 'nother ball game.
What would I do?
Well, I think I'd take some writing classes. And I'd buy a new really cool camera and take some photography lessons. When I wasn't out taking pictures, I'd be blogging up a storm and filling my pieces with my pictures.
What a lovely little dream that is.
But wait - we're not talking "little dreams" here - let's talk BIG dreams.
Winning The Lottery kinds of dreams!
There are other reasons, including the fact that I did have a period in my adult life - only one - when I wasn't working. It was when we moved to Boone from Atlanta. And oooooh - it was glorious.
For awhile.
Surprisingly, only for awhile.
I spent a long time unpacking boxes and getting the new house the way I wanted it. I was able to spend time with my Mom. I had time to cook the kind of meals I wanted to and I even had time to keep the house as tidy and clean as I wanted. But then - - - all that got boring as hell. Not yet having discovered the joys I now know, love, treasure and cherish of blogging, and, admittedly, being at a low point in my creative life, I re-discovered daytime TV and picked up watching my favorite soap opera. Even though I had not seen it for many years, it seemed like only yesterday. John and Marlena were still there, and so were Bo and Hope. I was hooked.
Soon I was watching the soap that came on before Days of Our Lives. And pretty soon I was even watching the one that came on after Days of Our Lives. And all those nice meals? pfft! No time to cook - I had soaps to watch! And that nice clean tidy house? pfft! No time to clean - I had my "stories" to watch.
Time to go back to work!
If, however, we were wealthy and I could afford to do all things I would like to do without working, it would be a whole 'nother ball game.
What would I do?
Well, I think I'd take some writing classes. And I'd buy a new really cool camera and take some photography lessons. When I wasn't out taking pictures, I'd be blogging up a storm and filling my pieces with my pictures.
What a lovely little dream that is.
But wait - we're not talking "little dreams" here - let's talk BIG dreams.
Winning The Lottery kinds of dreams!
Let Your Fantasy Begin!
What's the first question everyone asks those lucky people you see on TV who have won.
"Are you going to quit your job, Mr. JustWonABeezillionMillionDollars?"
Would I quit my job if I won a beezillion million dollars?! Pfft. Honey. I'd quit my job if I won One Million Dollars.
I know very well there are people who swear you better have at least one million dollars socked away in order to live a comfortable life when you retire. But, Whoa - we are not going there.
We're playing in the world of fantasy here, okay? Try to remember - Fantasy . . .
Now that I've reached the age I am, I think I know myself pretty well. I'm not being frivolous when I say my needs AND my wants have lessened. And while I'm able to admire and see the beauty in a lot of things, they're not necessarily things I want.
Fantasy - remember - we're sticking with Fantasy.
Not the good works you would do.
Not the friends and family you would take care of.
Those things are all givens. And they are lovely to contemplate.
But right here, right now, we're gonna play at being selfish. As selfish as all get out with the beezillion million dollars YOU just won.
What are you gonna do?
Fantasy - remember - we're sticking with Fantasy.
Not the good works you would do.
Not the friends and family you would take care of.
Those things are all givens. And they are lovely to contemplate.
But right here, right now, we're gonna play at being selfish. As selfish as all get out with the beezillion million dollars YOU just won.
What are you gonna do?
We're going to take care of basics, and then I'm going to wander on while Donald spends his half of the beezillion million as he wishes while I spend mine.
I'm pretty sure our lives would change by winning a huge lottery. But I'm also pretty sure it wouldn't change in huge ways, really.
I'm pretty sure our lives would change by winning a huge lottery. But I'm also pretty sure it wouldn't change in huge ways, really.
Would we move? Off Proffit Road? I don't think so. We would, however, buy all those acres of land across the road that our neighbor Mike has for sale. And we'd build a house. Not this house . . .
But something more along the lines of this one that makes my heart sing -
And it woud sit in the middle of a secret garden that looks sorta like this -
AND - you know how Donald and I feel about the beach.
Since we'll now have a beezillion million dollars we can also have a place at the beach.
Only fair, after all, to have the best of both worlds,huh?!
And is this what we'd go for??
oh my - this place, as gorgeous as it is, is kinda scary to me, so no, that's not it.
But now, THIS place fits right into my fantasy
Okay.
So.
We have living arrangements all taken care of.
What about clothes?? Won't need much since I won't be going to work, and even if I can hang around the house all day in cotton jammie bottoms and a t-shirt, I guess I'll need "real" clothes once in awhile.
Easy Peasy! I'll throw myself a little shopping spree! I'll buy jeans, white shirts, cowgirl boots, long skirts and long scarves from one of my favorite on-line spots - Robert Redford's Sundance Catalog
Did you know I'm addicted to jewelry? yep. I am. I love pretty jewelry. Since I was a little girl, I have decorated myself with pretties.
Lord knows I won't need anything like this
But while I'm shopping for clothes at Sundance Catalog, I can feed my addiction to Jes MaHarry's jewely, oh boy!
Well, this has been a bunch of fun, but suppose there are a whole bunch of other people who have chosen the same lottery numbers I have!? And I have to - EEK! Share the wealth! Instead of a beezillion million, I have to make do with a few extra thousand?!
You know what.
It's O.K.
I'll just continue working at a job I really do like a lot, and I'll continue writing this blog, which I love a lot, and I'll buy this wonderful Nikon D90 and take a few lessons . . .
And one of these days I really am going to take some writing lessons.
4 comments:
It's great to dream, Kaye! If I won the lottery today, I'd get someone else to plug away at my draft while I sipped wine on the deck on this gorgeous day. Just for the one day though ...
Love this idea.
MJ
Closet Confidential: a Charlotte Adams mystery
What fun, Kaye! I have lessened my "wants" a lot in the last few years. I don't want to have to dust it or wash it regularly, so that leaves a lot less that I want! ;-)
I'd like that camera and the lessons as well...could we take lessons together?
Really, I simply want my time. I want to be able to work in my flower beds, which I love. I want to be able to craft - crochet and knit and scrapbook and stamp. Lord knows I have supplies out my ears, so I wouldn't even need to spend any of my money on that. I want to spend time with my fur babies and have plenty of time to exercise regularly. I want to have time for all the hair-brained ideas I have for my blog. And most of all, I don't want to have to get up to a damned alarm clock!
I'd travel a bit, too, because I've seen so little of the world. But I tend to be a home-body, so I'd want to be home more than traveling. But maybe my home would just be in a more rural area than I am now.
I've always wanted to volunteer at an animal shelter, just giving time and attention to the critters waiting for new homes. I'd like to volunteer for a reading program, too. Maybe reading with small children or even helping teach illiterate adults to read.
Like I said, it mostly comes down to the time factor. If I can keep the roof over my head, I don't need stuff. But I sure do treasure time!
MJ - you made me spit. Charlotte would NOT like being handed off to someone else.
Jen - TIME! OH OH OH. You are so right. More time would be the answer to everything, wouldn't it?! I'm very protective of any free time I might have.
Kaye, Darlin', I love your fantasies. There's only one thing I want you to add to your list when you win the bezillion million: adopt me and move me to Boone. Carol, too, of course.
There's one thing you CANNOT do, however. You canNOT take writing lessons. We'd lose one of the original, naturally-gifted voices on the planet.
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