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I DIDN’T WIN the Powerball lottery—this time.
That’s too bad because I knew exactly what I’d have done with the money. I’ll bet you did, too.
I was ready to pay for the education of all of our nieces’ children. “Go where you wanna go,” as the song says. My favorite charity would also have been on the list. Laurel House, a domestic violence agency, does tremendous work in Montgomery County, where we live in Southeastern Pennsylvania.
Lest you think I don’t have something personal in mind, there’s a condo in Florida that I’ve had my eye on. And another one in New York City, so I could attend a Broadway show at a moment’s notice.
All in my dreams, of course. Because I didn’t win—this time.
Which means I won’t be on the evening news. In Pennsylvania, you must fill out a claim form to get your prize. The state will reveal your name, the town or county where you live, and how much you’ve won.
Why does the state insist on this? It wants the public to know that you can indeed win, plus the more winners it publicizes, the more people play. Pennsylvania also has an open records law, which makes such information public.
With such a revelation, all my friends and neighbors would have known I was RICH. I may have discovered friends and family I didn’t even know about. How would I say “no” to them? More to the point, how do you decide when to say “no” in general?
Then there’s the whole issue of safety and scams. My lawyer friend said someone might have filed a bogus lawsuit against me or staged an accident, hoping I would pay up.
There are loopholes around the identity issue, such as forming a trust to claim the prize. Still, I suddenly see many disadvantages to having a lot of money.
So ends the fantasy. And the headaches.
I’m back to reality, living an anonymous and mostly contented life.
Till next time.
I frequently fantasize about what I would do if I won a big lottery prize. Unfortunately, I understand that you actually need to buy a ticket.
In Pennsylvania and in Massachusetts lottery winners can now be represented by a trust and remain anonymous to the public. Your identity is known to the lottery organization however. I don’t know if it’s only on a need to know basis or not . I’m not aware of anyone’s data being breached .
I’m thinking winning $2 billion in the lottery is more a curse than a blessing. Thankfully in NJ you can elect to remain anonymous – that’s a big worry 😂.
I gave up on all lotteries except the pick 6 and when it gets to $5 million or so I have a detailed plan in mind – it doesn’t work with my typical $3 win though.
What annoys me is they publicize the annuity amount when in fact only one person every took the Powerball annuity. I look at the lump sum amount and multiply it by 54%. That’s about what you net after federal and state income tax. Oh my, only $500 million left.
Good luck next time Sonja. When I hit the big one I’ll send you a check – promise.
Oh boy, I’ll take you up on that one!