Story
Second Chance Previous Story
Deliberately living each moment is our only chance.
He stares intently at the TV, ticket between thumb and forefinger, leaning in as the announcer slowly reads the numbers: “11, 20, 25, 32, . . . 35.” Awhh—off by one number! He rips the ticket in half and dashes it to the floor. He was so close. Maybe next week.
If I had just a penny
He’d envisioned himself in a new car, perhaps with a bigger house, in a better neighborhood. He’d be generous—he’d give each of his kids a “nest egg.” He’d thought he might even quit his job and take a dream vacation—have a second shot at life. After all, isn’t it part of the American Dream, to become super–rich overnight? To get a second chance?
MegaMillions. Powerball. Super-Lotto. Instant-win scratch-off. Forty-one states have lotteries that feed the hopes and dreams of that second chance.
Newspaper stories chronicle the fortunes and misfortunes of the winners. One winner said that winning had been a curse—he wished he’d torn up the ticket. The winners seldom reckon what comes after—the calls from long-lost family, the new-found friends, the endless invitations for investment opportunities. Life’s harsher realities intrude upon the Dream; these details are never factored into the fantasy.
What’s so special about the elusive second chance? Don’t we receive thousands of chances for free, one after another, every moment, earned by the simple act of waking up each day? Knowing this is winning life’s lottery!
You may also want to visit our other websites:
Uncommon Promise Video Channel
Under the Tuscan Thumb Blog
The UP Side Lowdown by Cheryl
If I had just a pennyHe’d envisioned himself in a new car, perhaps with a bigger house, in a better neighborhood. He’d be generous—he’d give each of his kids a “nest egg.” He’d thought he might even quit his job and take a dream vacation—have a second shot at life. After all, isn’t it part of the American Dream, to become super–rich overnight? To get a second chance?
MegaMillions. Powerball. Super-Lotto. Instant-win scratch-off. Forty-one states have lotteries that feed the hopes and dreams of that second chance.
Newspaper stories chronicle the fortunes and misfortunes of the winners. One winner said that winning had been a curse—he wished he’d torn up the ticket. The winners seldom reckon what comes after—the calls from long-lost family, the new-found friends, the endless invitations for investment opportunities. Life’s harsher realities intrude upon the Dream; these details are never factored into the fantasy.
What’s so special about the elusive second chance? Don’t we receive thousands of chances for free, one after another, every moment, earned by the simple act of waking up each day? Knowing this is winning life’s lottery!
You may also want to visit our other websites:
Uncommon Promise Video Channel
Under the Tuscan Thumb Blog
The UP Side Lowdown by Cheryl
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