I think we all have, at one point or another, had “The Lottery Pipe Dream”. That dream that crosses our minds every single time we line up to buy a lottery ticket, considering what we would do if we hit the big one. I my own self had those same thoughts tonight as I stopped by the local grocery store to buy my ticket for Saturday nights draw.
By no means am I greedy. A million five would cover all of my desires fairly well. It would start off with a trust fund for my granddaughter, so that college would be paid for before she enters kindergarten. My lovely daughter would also get a hefty sum to use in whatever way she wanted, along with the usual new car and other stuff. This would all take place within the first 48 hours of me taking custody of the cash lump. The ex-wife would also get a deal as well; 5 years of spousal support in advance, in cash, and we call it good. I don’t have to do this, but it just feels like the right thing to do.
By then, the small amount of stuff I have here on Guam that I would want to keep would be on its way to the Philippines. Stop by the office on the way to the airport to say goodbye to friends and to turn in my resignation. The thought of walking in to one of the managers offices, handing him my resignation, then taking a dump on his desk is intriguing, but probably won’t happen. Although it’s a nice thought, even I can’t be that big of an asshole.
The wife and I would then be doing some traveling, to Texas to meet my granddaughter and son-in-law, hang out for a week or so and let everyone get acquainted. A quick side trip to Missouri so that The Gorgeous One can meet the rest of my family, and for me to take care of a couple of things there. A few days after that, on to Colorado for some back porch time at my dad’s house, and to pay off his mortgage.
Of course, none of this travel would be in coach. No, those days would be over and done with, thank you ever so much. The Gorgeous One and I will be riding up front, the cabin crew doing their level best to meet our every need and kissing our asses. From Denver, we wing our way across the Pacific to Manila, to kick start the rest of our lives.
In my mind, I picture a piece of land on a hilltop just on the outskirts of Olongopo. This is where we will build our house, with enough land surrounding it to be comfortable and not have to worry about the neighbors. A decent view of Subic Bay, with some fruit trees on the property and room for a garden. Close enough to the in-laws that they can come visit every now and then, far enough away so that they have to make a little bit of an effort to do so. I love my in-laws, but I also love my privacy.
The nephews and nieces get their high school paid for. We start a couple of small businesses in the Subic Industrial Zone, nothing crazy, but big enough to generate income well into our retirement years. Just enough stuff to give me something to do without being required to really do anything. Let The Gorgeous One indulge in some spoilage of her own. My wife is one of those people who almost never buys anything for herself, so I will be forced to lavish some stuff on her.
After that, it’s pretty simple. Enjoy the quiet life, with as little stress as possible. Live modestly, but by the same token, not having to clip coupons or look in the marked down section at the grocery store. The spare time would be spent on writing the couple of books I have running around in my head and hanging out with the wife and having some more kids.
Like I said, nothing lavish or overblown. A simple life, all our basic needs and desires taken care of, with ample cash put away for emergencies and those times we get the urge to get on a plane and go to Oktoberfest in Munchen or the ice festival in Sapporo.
It’s a pipe dream, but when we stop dreaming, we start dying. Dreams give us something to hope for, and without hope, however slim, we have nothing.
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