Sorry Kids, I DON’T Want to Win the Lottery

You heard me right.

I didn’t buy a ticket to the Powerball last week, despite a record jackpot of $950 million. I still won’t buy a ticket this week, although the jackpot is at this moment worth $1.4 billion.

I don’t know how else to say it:

I DON’T WANT A BILLION DOLLARS.

Before I explain why, I have to disclose that this is a point of disagreement with my husband, who bought a couple of tickets last week and who would be delighted to spend the rest of his earthly days managing a billion dollars by setting up charitable foundations and giving a boatload of money away to organizations and people in need.

My husband genuinely wants to help people. I love that about him.

But a billion dollars scares me. First of all, I don’t need a billion dollars. Nobody does. And based on a lifetime of listening, observing and reading about people who have exponentially more money than they need, I am afraid of the things that might happen to me if I had too much money.

I might forget what it’s like to have to save money for something important I want to buy, like a car or a house.

I might take little things for granted, like an occasional Starbucks Grande Half Caf Mocha No Whip, because it won’t feel like I’m splurging when I can afford a trillion of them instead of just one.

I might delude myself into thinking that if I have a billion dollars, I deserve it.

Then if I believe I deserve it, I might start thinking that people who don’t have a billion dollars, don’t deserve it.

If that happens, there’s a risk that I might think non-billionaires have less value than me and are not as important as I am.

I might become arrogant.

I might start behaving like a jackass.

Under extreme circumstances, I might even run for President.

I’m pretty sure my kids won’t understand my reluctance to buy a Powerball ticket. All I can tell them is that for me, it’s not worth the risk. I’d rather work hard, pay my bills, enjoy small pleasures, remain a kind, empathetic and respectful human being, and be a good role model for them.

I don’t want to win the lottery, but if somebody hits the jackpot and wins the Powerball this week, I will be happy to congratulate them.

However, if I’m allowed to offer any advice to a new billionaire, it would be this:

Please don’t be a jackass.

***

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