I bought a lottery ticket today. That’s something I would recommend to anybody. If you have any imagination, all it takes is $2 to set your mind to racing about “what if?” I’ve been thinking all day about what I would do if I won the $138 million jackpot. Not that I seriously think there’s a chance in Hell. I mean, someone from my hometown, Kings Mountain, NC, recently won the jackpot. That probably puts me out of the running for the rest of my life. But it’s still fun to think about.
Here’s what I would do, in no particular order, if I won $138 million.
- I’d hold Capt. Thornton’s Tampa Bay Local Music Festival. It’s been made pretty clear that the money talks in this area, and the people who could help this to happen aren’t going to be interested unless there are some big bucks involved.
- I’d buy Jannus Landing here in St. Petersburg to make sure that one of the coolest venues I’ve ever seen is still around for decades to come.
- I’d sink some serious money into campaigns to make people more aware of the problem of human trafficking, the sex slave trade and indentured servitude.
- I’d not only pay off Victoria’s house here in St. Petersburg, but I’d go up to Kings Mountain and reclaim the house that I lost to treachery. Some things that are and were very wrong would be made right.
- I would track down my 1978 Ford Thunderbird that I was forced to abandon, and reclaim it from whoever the hell has it now. Not only that, but I would restore the car, show it the proper respect it deserves, and beg its forgiveness for leaving it behind.
- I’d hire the best musicians in the Tampa Bay area to help me start recording and performing my music before I’m too old to do so. One good run around the block before it’s too late. Hell, with the kind of money I’d have, we might even stage a full performance of the Crewe album, complete with giant screens showing animated scenes from the book.
- I’d form a foundation and record label that would focus on nothing but exposing local talent and helping them to reach the national stage.
- I’d form an arts foundation that would help support local artists by showing them ways to make a living from their work, and help them to do so through the foundation.
- I’d publish my own books and tell the publishing industry to take a flying leap. I’d also try to help other writers whose style or subject matter also falls under the mantle of “unconventional”.
- Most selfish of all, I would fly to California and talk to the Alembic company about making those four bass guitars for me. One each, for earth, air, fire and water. With those basses I would make magic.
- More importantly, I would see my mother again. I haven’t seen her in over a year; due mostly to tight finances. I’d also see if I could get her to move down here before all those old people she works so hard to accommodate drive her into an early grave.
- Most important to me, I would make sure that my mother’s remaining years are carefree and without worry. If anyone deserves that, she does, for having always gone above and beyond to help anyone who needed it.
These are just a few of the things I can think of right off the top of my head. I’m sure I could think of some more. But that’ll be enough for now. I have no reasonable expectation that any of these things will ever come to pass. But it’s nice to get to think about them for a little while, wrapped up in that nice blanket of “what if?”
I may not win the lottery jackpot tomorrow, but I’ve already gotten quite a lot out of just buying a ticket. Surely that’s more than worth the $2 I paid for it.
