|
Ron Jackson's Perspective
The Sunday Journal -
Think
Kankakee, Illinois
April 21, 2002
Big Game winner has
price to pay |
 |
|
I didn't play one dollar in
the recent Big Game lottery, but I am so glad it's over. I am
also very happy to see that more than one person won.
Since I didn't play, I never got into the what-if-I-won
drama. Had it rolled over one more time, I would have been
tempted to play to win and pray that I didn't.
I have no problem admitting that winning a
multi-million dollar instant jackpot would change me. Even
though I am old enough to be set in my ways, I could be influenced.
My winning the lottery would not be a good thing for mankind.
Sure, I would support my two favorite charities, but after that,
well, there is no need to say since I am still poor little old me.
If at age 45 being a lottery winner is not a good
thing, I surely would not want to be twenty years old with an
instant $58 million to deal with. At age 20, most Americans
are in their prime of knowing everything. Twenty-somethings
know all the answers to the world's problems. To know
everything about life and have enough money to act on your beliefs
can be a curse. Even if the young lottery winner from Georgia
had the best upbringing, her life could not have prepared her for
this. Whatever plans she may have had, they have changed.
She will get loads of advice. I hope she takes
none of it. If she blew $1 million per year, she would be 78
years old before she would have spent it all. To spend $1
million per year, she would have to spend over $83,000 per month.
That would take work. Strenuous work. She would probably
not live to see 78 after trying to spend that much money each month.
Of course she will be advised to invest it. Why? How
much more does she need? Her life expectancy is about 58 more
years. I say let her live. Easy come, easy go.
Although she is at an age where she may think she knows
everything, she has one important American lesson to learn.
Everyone and everything in America has a price, and she now has
enough to meet the price of most. It's not that she can buy
the most expensive cars, homes & jewelry, or travel the world every
month, it's the fact that she can buy other things most don't care
to put a price on.
With $58 million, she can buy justice or injustice.
She can buy politicians and other influential decision makers.
She is now an influential decision maker. That could be scary.
The right to vote is one thing. The power to effect immediate
change is another. She now has both.
I have only two wishes for her. I hope because
she can now afford lawyers like Johnny Cochran, she won't become a
thug like some of his other young clients with lots of money.
I hope she hangs onto her money for at least 15 years when she will
be 35 years old. With her net worth, she could buy the
presidency.
It's going to be interesting to see how she lives the
next few years. The world is now curious about her every move.
That is the price she has to pay for being who she is now. She
has wealth; I wish her all the rest. |
|
|
Thanks for stopping by! |
|
|
Home
| About | What's New |
Books | Columns |
Archives |
Seminars | Search |
Contact |
| |
|
|
|
