Winning the Lottery… a Numbers Game
Gabi and I visited Nebraska last week. We went with the family to a concert at a casino. Afterwards, we braved the smell of cigarettes and broken dreams to play a couple slots on the casino floor. My cousin Landon (who, after going to Vegas once is merely a couple steps away from being a degenerate gambler) lead Gabi and I to the slot machines. Gabi had some beginner’s luck and was up $38 at one point. Landon pulled the handle one time and turned 40 cents into $80. I, meanwhile, turned 40 seconds and $25 into an empty wallet.
I now hate gambling.
I understand some of the thrill. I have multiple friends who have made hundreds of dollars off of the promotional bonus in sports betting — I lost $100 after one football season. I enjoy a sitting down for some blackjack or Texas Hold ‘Em, but only when playing with your money. I did win my first ever game of Keno (basically miniature lottery to pass the time while drinking with friends), but couldn’t even cash out the $250 because I was technically “underage.”
There’s really only one kind of gambling I can truly get behind: Lottery Tickets.
…but not in the way you think.
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In a recent episode of Sunday Papers (one of my favorite weekly podcasts), comedy writer Mike Gibbons spoke about teaching adjunct film writing at USC. He believes the most important lesson he gives is about “lottery tickets.”
To paraphrase — the best way to win the lottery is to buy a whole lot of tickets. The same goes for your career and life. Hard work, talent, good looks — they can only get you so far. You also need a helluva lot of luck, so you’d better multiply your odds every chance you get.
The person sitting next to you in class. The professor grading your papers. The boss at the job you don’t like but unfortunately do need. The person you meet at the bar that serves vodka in the form of a flash of light. They’re all lottery tickets. Sure, some of them may not be WINNING lottery tickets — most of them aren’t. But some of them will bring you great fortune — a few may even award you a jackpot opportunity.
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Unlike true gambling, I’ve had some pretty good luck when it comes to life’s “lottery tickets.” Sure, there have been some really big losses… but I’ve beaten the house a few times as well. And the best part about these “lottery tickets?” They’re free! They only take your time and effort.
Y’all can keep your dopamine-drip slot machines and exciting parlays — I’ll stick to the good ol’ life lotto.
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