Five dollars of happiness

I bet you're thinking that $5 of happiness is $5 spent on ice cream! Or at least you may have guessed that's what I would say. But in this case, no. Ok, and yes. Because $5 spent on a medium Oreo Arctic Whip, or one in Rolo is indeed happiness and money well spent. But what I intended to write about is the lottery.

Whether you are in Canada, or the USA, there are big lotto draws this weekend! I generally don't buy or advocate for lotteries, but I DO like to dream a bit.  So tonight when I pick up a ticket I'm going to think about it as $5 worth of happiness regardless of the outcomes.

I absolutely know that the odds are against winning the lotto. And this will be the only $5 I put into Lotto Max this month, but here's why I think of it as five dollars of happiness.... When I buy a ticket I don't check it right after the draw. I wait at least one whole day. I don't look up the winning numbers or even consider validating the ticket until I have thought about what I would do IF I was rich. I almost "pretend" I have the winning ticket and think about all the trips and things I would do IF I won the lotto. It's a great day of "what would I do."  It gives me a chance to dream and think about all the people whose lives I could enrich if I had that ability. I think about which island I would charter a plane to and take all my friends. It's a fun, cheap escape from reality.

I know it's just postponing the disappointment of a losing ticket, but I still do get a kick out of it. $5 of "happiness." It's great for the end of  hard week. A little "what if" reward.  Then again, you might choose ice cream. That's a sure bet!!