Things I don't have to do
Well, I dodged a bullet, so to speak, last night. My co-workers and I didn't win the lottery. That's a good thing in a lot of ways because there are a lot of things I don't have to do today because I didn't win.
First off, there is this guy that goes to our church. One of his "things" he thinks is funny is to ask folks for a million dollars. I would have had to give it to him and as bad as his life looks to me from the outside, giving the man a million dollars would make it much, much worse. We're both better off without that headache.
I don't have to worry about disputes that would have arisen with my children's mothers. Money tends to bring out either the best or the worst in people. I've been around too many things and places to do anything other than hope for the best from people but expect the worst. I'm not saying there would have been "issues", but now I don't have to worry about it.
Another thing I don't have to do is worry about who I'd give money to. I don't need that much, and to be perfectly honest, if I had enough to pay off my debts and fix the things that need fixing, I'd be perfectly happy. So last night I was toying with what I'd do with all that money.
Here's my list:
Paint my truck. Replace the air conditioners and furnaces in my house with something that makes sense. Remodel the upstairs and add proper windows to the basement. In the process, I'd fix the landscaping so water drains away from the house. I'd replace the concrete driveway and garage floor. I'd fence in the entire lot. I would have the garden scraped and have new topsoil brought in. I'd add French doors in my bedroom and a hot tub outside. And I'd pick out some new furniture.
My kids would've been set for college. My mom and Miss June would never work another day in their lives that they didn't want to. And one friend would have the same luxury.
I figure all of that would have cost me under $2,000,000. Everything I would do to the house would have been about $100,000.
We figured, among us, with taking the cash payout, that before taxes, we'd have received about $21,000,000 each. My church would have received $2.1 million of that. Again, probably a headache they don't need. Sometimes money isn't the answer to everything.
My plan was to keep 10% of it for me, after fixing up the house. I figured I could live off the interest an just pursue other things in my life than fixing airplanes, but what those things would have been, I have no idea. I don't have to worry about any of that today, though. And neither do my co-workers.
So, today, we're going back to work. Life goes on just the way it was before. But for a brief span of time, there was a chance that I could walk away from stuff I'd be OK with leaving behind and a future of being "free" to pursue whatever I wanted. I'm OK with that, and giving thanks for a day yesterday that was the best day I've had in two years. I didn't win the lottery yesterday, but something changed in my life that I have no idea about. I can tell you though that for the first time in two years, I woke up not tired and unexplainably happy.
Today is day two of that.
And going back to work isn't all bad. Because my Redskins beat the Cowboys on Thanksgiving day there will be donuts for the entire crew, compliments of an overconfident Cowboys fan.
All in all, not a bad day...
First off, there is this guy that goes to our church. One of his "things" he thinks is funny is to ask folks for a million dollars. I would have had to give it to him and as bad as his life looks to me from the outside, giving the man a million dollars would make it much, much worse. We're both better off without that headache.
I don't have to worry about disputes that would have arisen with my children's mothers. Money tends to bring out either the best or the worst in people. I've been around too many things and places to do anything other than hope for the best from people but expect the worst. I'm not saying there would have been "issues", but now I don't have to worry about it.
Another thing I don't have to do is worry about who I'd give money to. I don't need that much, and to be perfectly honest, if I had enough to pay off my debts and fix the things that need fixing, I'd be perfectly happy. So last night I was toying with what I'd do with all that money.
Here's my list:
Paint my truck. Replace the air conditioners and furnaces in my house with something that makes sense. Remodel the upstairs and add proper windows to the basement. In the process, I'd fix the landscaping so water drains away from the house. I'd replace the concrete driveway and garage floor. I'd fence in the entire lot. I would have the garden scraped and have new topsoil brought in. I'd add French doors in my bedroom and a hot tub outside. And I'd pick out some new furniture.
My kids would've been set for college. My mom and Miss June would never work another day in their lives that they didn't want to. And one friend would have the same luxury.
I figure all of that would have cost me under $2,000,000. Everything I would do to the house would have been about $100,000.
We figured, among us, with taking the cash payout, that before taxes, we'd have received about $21,000,000 each. My church would have received $2.1 million of that. Again, probably a headache they don't need. Sometimes money isn't the answer to everything.
My plan was to keep 10% of it for me, after fixing up the house. I figured I could live off the interest an just pursue other things in my life than fixing airplanes, but what those things would have been, I have no idea. I don't have to worry about any of that today, though. And neither do my co-workers.
So, today, we're going back to work. Life goes on just the way it was before. But for a brief span of time, there was a chance that I could walk away from stuff I'd be OK with leaving behind and a future of being "free" to pursue whatever I wanted. I'm OK with that, and giving thanks for a day yesterday that was the best day I've had in two years. I didn't win the lottery yesterday, but something changed in my life that I have no idea about. I can tell you though that for the first time in two years, I woke up not tired and unexplainably happy.
Today is day two of that.
And going back to work isn't all bad. Because my Redskins beat the Cowboys on Thanksgiving day there will be donuts for the entire crew, compliments of an overconfident Cowboys fan.
All in all, not a bad day...
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