I Won Powerball !!!

The dog woke me up barking again. Damn, another day and I am so tired. I could sleep till noon, I thought to myself. I dragged myself from the warmth of the bed and went to the front door. Picked up the newspaper that had already been delivered and tied the dog outside. Coffee. That's what I need.

As the coffee brewed I looked at the front page of the paper. Jobless rate climbs blared the headline. Just what an unemployed man wants to read. Inside the paper was more good news. Rain for the weekend. Lots of it. Flipping to the sports section I see that my favorite baseball team lost again. That's three in a row now. Then I see the little box on the bottom of the sports page. Today's lottery numbers. I dig into my pocket and pull out my tickets. I have been playing the same 4 sets of numbers now for over six months and so far had won a total of about twenty dollars. I look at the first number under the Powerball section. I see that it's a 7. Nice. I can't remember all my numbers but I know on one of the tickets I have a 7 in the first position. The aroma of coffee has now filled the kitchen. It reminds me that I need some. I walk to the counter and pour a cup and light a cigarette. Coffee and cigarettes. The breakfast of champions I mutter to myself and then I look at my lottery tickets again. I pull out the ticket that has the 7 in the first position. As I look at the paper the second number is a match too. My eyes are bleary still from sleep. Looks to me like the third number is also a match. I know at least now I can play next week for free I think to myself. Then I skip to the Powerball number. 29. That's my Powerball number too. Wow I won $100 I think to myself. Back to the little box with the numbers in it. I see the fourth digit is also a match. My heart skips a beat when I look at the fifth number. It's a 47. Can it be? I look at my ticket again. It is. I have to read the numbers in the paper and look at my ticket over and over. All five numbers and the Powerball. My heart is racing. My hands are shaking. The numbers are all there. I have the winning Powerball ticket in my hand. I read the ticket out loud and look at the newspaper. I have won the Powerball jackpot. I am an instant millionaire I think to myself. My dog starts barking outside again. I don't care. I am looking open jawed at the newspaper and a Powerball ticket that is matching every single number. The date has to be wrong? I am dreaming. I can't possibly have the winning ticket. Again I look at the newspaper and my ticket. It's still there, all five numbers and the Powerball number. I am rich. Even after the taxes and the annuity I am going to cash this little piece of paper in for 85 million dollars.

Okay so lets say you did win the Powerball jackpot. What would you do with 85 million dollars? I do know one thing I would do. I would buy a street. I mean the whole street. Build several homes and have my family members come live with me. I would travel. I would donate money to every charity imaginable and I would try not to change too much. I do think that there would be problems being that rich. My kids would be targets for kidnappers now I would think. Is that something I want? Even with all those riches? Have people who won gigantic jackpots of money truly found happiness? Being single I wonder also will I stay single? Will being a multi-millionaire change the way I look at relationships? Is she here for me or just because I own a plane that can whisk us off to Vegas in a heartbeat? I don't know....but one thing I do know... it sure would be nice to learn how to live without ever having to worry about money again. I know there are lots of people around the world who suffer and struggle every day. I am not a jealous man, but I would like to be able to live life as I want to without the daily struggle of paying for my mortgage.

I hope you enjoy my fantasy Hub and hope to see your comments about what you would do with riches beyond your wildest dreams. Someone has to win. Why not me?