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Dreaming of that big payoffI really should start playing the lottery. After all, every day there's another story on the news about some down-on-his-luck soul spending his last $2 on a lottery ticket and winning a jackpot that will cover his bills and let him live happily ever after. On television there's always some game show winner picking the lucky case and walking away with half a million dollars or more. Why can't that be me? Let me clarify, it's not that I'm unhappy with my career, or where I live, or how I live. Rather, I would just love to be able to afford my dreams. And trust me, I have plenty of dreams. On my computer I keep a file of all the places and adventures I have heard of in my reading and my travels, and of wild ideas that I'd like to fund. Some are small destinations and wishes, others are once-in-a lifetime opportunities, but they're all experiences I want to have while I'm able to enjoy them. I figure, if I write them down, then there's a greater chance of me making them come true some day. So, on my list is to spend each holiday for a year in a different world city, such as St. Patrick's Day in Dublin, the Fourth of July in Washington, D.C., and Oktoberfest in Munich. I think it'd be the ultimate hoot to ride on a Mardi Gras parade float in New Orleans, go window shopping on 5th Avenue at Christmas time, and wear a ridiculously large floppy hat in the grandstands on Kentucky Derby Day. I want to learn to dive off of a diving board fearlessly, to dance in a street dance in some exotic land, and to sing a duet with Reba McEntire on the stage of the Grand Ole Opry. I want to perfect a proper "hood slide" and take a spin in the General Lee riding shotgun with John Schneider behind the wheel. I'd like to "talk shop" with Larry McMurtry, Baxter Black, Stephen King and J.K. Rowling over brews in some Texas roadhouse. I'd love to sit in on a recording session with Willie Nelson, or watch a painter fill a canvas with a new masterpiece. Of course, I have smaller dreams, too. Like everyone who wins the lottery I would want to pay off my family's bills and provide for my parents. I would take my Dad on the Alaskan cruise he's dreamed of, and watch my Mom's eyes take in the opulence of Paris and Rome. I would treat my brother and sister-in-law to a nice honeymoon, and make my sister's dream of a pilot's license come true. And, once a year, I'd love to be able to treat the whole family to a get-away vacation in the islands, complete with surfing and scuba lessons. I'd even spring for the sunglasses so we wouldn't go blind from the glare off our pale Midwestern skin. And, like any good soul, I'd set a portion of that lottery win aside for the benefits of others. I would donate to our family church, and set up a foundation so that the money could grow and benefit researchers who are looking for cures for Parkinson's and Alzheimer's and other diseases. I'd set up scholarships and grants for young people. I'd buy new equipment for the journalism program at my old high school and build a new wing onto my old sorority house. In short, I would take that money and make not only my own, but the dreams of others come true. Of course, there's always the cold reality that even if I won a grand sum of money I'd wind up paying a truckload of taxes and I'd discover who my real friends are. How disappointing it must be for those new winners to find out that a number can come between lifelong friends and divide a solid family. And, what about all of those instant investment opportunities for new millionaires? You just know there's a bunch of sharks circling the waters waiting on a lottery winner to hand over their winnings for some bad investment scheme. Who could you trust to have your best interests in mind? So, maybe winning the lottery or taking home a windfall from a game show has its disadvantages. That doesn't mean I'll stop dreaming and adding to my list though. Jennifer M. Latzke can be reached by phone at 620-227-1807, or by e-mail at jlatzke@hpj.com. C 5 3/19/07 None Date: 3/13/07
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