I played the lotto tonight. $640 million up for grabs, why not? Well.. I didnt win… but word on the street is there is at least one winning ticket out there. Somebody won. I cant even imagine what that would mean.
When I was a kid I used to play video games and there was this game called Sim City. It was fun. You had a plot of land which you developed into a town and eventually a functioning city. The challenge in this is the fact that you had a limited budget in which to develop with. You had to grow the city, bring in revenue in which to reinvest and build more. There was strategy involved and you faced the usual problems of a city: crime, pollution, taxes etc. Building the city in proper form so that there was enough commercial development to support the residential growth and so on. The game was fun and challenging… until I found out about the cheat for $999,999,999.99
Once that happened EVERYTHING changed. Now I was able to do anything I wanted in the game. The rules no longer applied and there was no real challenge. Build anything at will and if something wasnt working out just bulldoze and start over. I played the game a bit longer but grew tired of it and took it out… I havent played the game since, dont know that I ever would again. I can only think thats what happens in life if you were to win the lottery. The rules of life change. The day to day challenges faced are gone and potentially a whole new set of challenges face you. I’ve heard about stories of past lottery winners saying that the $$$ ruined their lives. I can’t even imagine what it would be like but I dont doubt the truth of these claims. Imagine never needing to do anything and having the financial freedom to do anything. Its crazy. The struggles faced day to day are the things that force us to grow as individuals. Money being a primary motivator, without that push what would happen? Would it take the fun out of it? It would certainly take the challenge out.
I’m not sure I want that and you know once you go there you can’t ever go back. Would I still have the same friends? Live in the same place? have the same career? probably not. EVERYTHING would change. My kids would grow up to be different, I would be different… and I’d like to think we could remain humbled and they would not grow up to be [like many rich kids are] bratty, spoiled and worst of all expecting. But it could happen. I’d rather them grow up from humbled roots with motivation to build a life, not be handed one. Now Im just writing this out, rambling off the top of my head the thoughts that come to me but you know what? I think I kinda like the struggle. I like the challenge. Life isnt easy, there are unexpected surprises and struggles, wants and desires and growth that comes from each hurdle that is overcome. I feel like those things build character and help to define us as a people. To have no struggle, no seemingly unattainable wants or desires cause everything is at your finger tips and easily bought… That would suck! Now in the same breath I will say that there is nothing wrong with riches and financial security that is EARNED. I believe the struggle along the way to earning such a thing prepares us for it. My biggest dilemma is WINNING all that money now at this point in life. Having all that thrown at me undeserving could potentially have serious negative consequences.
I like my life as it is now, a wedding photographer in Temecula. Sure it would be nice to have unlimited money in which to do anything I think up, Ive always been resourceful… I could think up a lot of good things to do with the money and ways to better myself, my friends, my family as well as others I come into contact with… but in the end, like Sim City, the challenge and ultimately the appeal would be lost and I’d have to find ways to get it back. And I think once you go to certain points, cross certain lines and hurdle certain barriers there just might not be any going back. Guess I really wouldnt know till I won… but as of now I dont think I’ll ever play the lottery again… think I’d be afraid to win and discover that life just might not be all its cracked up to be.