Playing the numbers game... 21.03.08
I was wondering the other
day what I’d do if I won the lottery and I’m pretty
certain that most people at one time or another have
paused for a moment or two to think on what they’d do if
their numbers came up and they hit the jackpot.
I suppose it’s what the lottery people depend on - that
whole sense of anticipation thing - what was it the
advert used to say “it could be you.”
Usually when I heard that advert I used to have a
chuckle to myself because I knew, no matter what the
advert said, it couldn’t be me.
Why? Because I hadn’t actually bought a ticket.
And it’s not like I couldn’t be doing with the cash, but
for some reason I don’t ever seem to think about
actually buying a ticket until the jackpot gets to a
certain level.
Anything over €6 million seems to be around the usual
for me, which might suggest I’m kinda picky. |
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You’d nearly think that
anything less than that would be hardly worth the bother
for me, when the reality is that even a €6 win would be
most welcome.
I was thinking all of these thoughts last week when the
mid-week jackpot was around €15 million and I once again
began to wonder what I’d do if I actually won.
First of all I convinced myself that my odds of winning
would increase significantly if I actually bought a
ticket, so that was first on the agenda.
As I did so, filling in a couple of quick-pick boxes, my
mind had raced ahead to the press release and how the
news would be received by people who have religiously
filled in the same numbers week in and week out since
the lottery draws have begun - and have won nothing.
I was just imagining the discomfort it would cause to
realise that somebody like me who never usually
bothered, could just waltz in when the jackpot got up to
€15 million and then win.
Of course I also had to wonder what I’d do with my time
if actually won and to be honest I’m not really sure
what I would do.
That’s not to say that if this column is not in the
paper next week - or indeed it is a repeat of an old
column - you should assume that ‘umm his numbers must
have come up.’
It’s more likely that because I’ve gone off for a few
weeks I couldn’t be bothered to write columns for weeks
in advance.
Anyway all that aside I often have seen people on
television or read their comments in the papers after a
lottery win when they have said they would be heading
back to work as usual. |
That has usually prompted
one question from me…why?
And I’d be interested to know how many people who have
said that in the aftermath of a lottery win actually
stayed on long term in their jobs.
I can’t imagine that I’d be wrecking my head every week
trying to come up with more nonsense for this column for
instance, but then again perhaps if I had nothing else
to do I’d be glad of the job. I might even do it for
nothing.
Of course this is all a case of ifs and buts, because
chances are I’ll be back at work in a couple of weeks
time and probably be a lot poorer than I am now.
On the other hand if there is no column here in three
weeks time… |
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A DROP OF
PORTER is
the weekly
column of
Inishowen
Independent
editor,
Liam Porter. |
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