Stop. Before you start sending in comments or emails telling me how much you love me and could I just send you a little gift, or large if you’re cheeky, I haven’t won the lottery. Sorry to disappoint. However, I’m almost one hundred percent sure that it is something we have all wondered over at some stage in our lives. What would we do if we won the lottery ?
Just for fun, say it. Go on, say it now. It’s just you and me, no one else is around. Deep breath and say after me. “I’ve just won the lottery” Did you say it ? Probably not but if you did, how did it feel ? Did you get a tiny tremor in your stomach ? A faint buzzy feeling ? That’s the power of our own thoughts. Of course, we know it’s not true but that doesn’t stop us from having a brief moment of excitement.
Why am I even talking about this, you’re wondering. Trying to make you feel bad, as some of you will, when you give it some more thought. No, not at all. This came up because the other day I had the ‘conversation’ with some friends. You know the one. Where you all start talking about what you would do if you won the lottery. It’s a biggy and not one that you should just dismiss out of hand. When you really start to get into it, you may find it to be quite revealing.
Let’s go hypothetical. I’m taking massive, huge rollover win. Say, 75 million. That takes away any thoughts about having to be ‘careful’. I mean, you’ll still have to be sensible but you won’t need to worry if you want to blow a few million on ‘stuff’. Let’s face it, just doing a quick, conservative calculation using a low interest rate of 1.5% you’d earn over 1.3 million in a year, so no need to worry of it all disappearing.
You’ve just had the phone call, the official one. It’s not going to be ‘real’ until someone has confirmed it, no matter how many 
times you read and check the numbers. “Congratulations Mr. McBride, I can confirm that you have won 75 million” There it is, chew on that for a second or two. Fast forward a week or so, everything has been tended to, you’ve had professional counselling and your local bank is now sat holding your fortune. I suppose, in this type of scenario, there might be another account already set-up for you, one better suited to the amount, who knows. That’s not me in the picture, by the way.
You’re back home, in the kitchen, mug of tea in hand, looking at the drip about to fall from the cold tap. What on earth do you do now ? No one knows apart from your nearest and dearest, if you have any. If you were one of my friends, you would be on the phone to the travel agents, booking a two-week holiday, full board, somewhere hot and quiet-ish. His reason ? He wanted to go somewhere and just let it all sink in. Not a bad idea.
Where would you start ? I know I caught you unawares and you haven’t planned on this conversation. Now’s the time to plan. Do you just ‘up sticks’ move to the Bahamas and spend the rest of you time on the peach sipping Pins Colada’s ? That would be a start but how long could you do it for ? Wouldn’t you get bored ? Take up golf then, or some other hobby that would keep your interest up.
Do you go out on a mad spending spree to buy all those things you’ve always wanted but just haven’t been able to justify. Eat out every night for a week. Go to a casino and lose a chink of money, because you can. New car, watch, jewelry, clothes. Anything you heart desires. How are you going to share some if it ? Who gets a wadge and how much should you give away. This was an interesting part to the conversation. One thing did become apparent though. If any of us won, then we would make sure all of the others were taken care of with a life changing amount, not just a few hundred. That was nice to know.
Two of them started a lively discussion into who they would choose, they’re a couple you see and there might be a few contentious choices, that was fun to watch. Even though it was all hypothetical, it raised some different opinions. Through it all nothing was mentioned about charities or good causes, well one was but fleetingly. Interesting. No one wanted to continue working, maybe long enough to honour what was on the books, then it was head to the hills.
Here’s what I would do. I’d buy the house I’m in, as in pay the mortgage off. There’d be a penalty but I could live with that. Then I’d pay off all the credit cards and anything outstanding. The lot, done and dusted. Imagine the first nights sleep after you’re debt-free for probably the first time in a long while. Next I’d buy a house, new or nearly new. One that didn’t need anything doing to it. Driveway and a garage. This would be temporary though, a ‘stopgap, if you like.
You see, I have thought about it. Why not ? Dreams, ambitions, goals are they not just something we envisage at a point in our future. Nothing is promised in life, we still have to get there, one way or another. So yes, I have my perfect house, or should I say home. Probably a good idea to run it by my wife, whoops.
I like 60s and 70s architecture, along with other things from that era. Years ago I spotted a building when I was out delivering furniture. I had to get to a farm, I think and the road I was on ran down the side of a field. On the others side was a long hedge, at one section the hedge opened up and there was an entrance. Through the gap I saw what reminded me of an old government building set down in a hollow. Flat roof, concrete and brick, unassuming. For some reason that building also stayed in my mind. I remember it now being shaped like a pentagon with one of the sides recessed with a double door in it. A walkway all the way round, I assumed as I couldn’t see the back, only a driveway circling down and towards the rear.
Now, I have it all planned out in my head. Large hallway with a small table near the door to put my keys on. To the right there is the lounge, this is my favourite room. It’s about forty foot by fifty foot with a sunken centre are where the sofa’s and large glass topped coffee table will be. The carpet is a deep green and thick enough for your feet to sink into. The one wall is made entirely of glass. Dado rail all the way round and the wallpaper underneath it is textured like a woven cloth. The walkway around the edge has the occasional beanbag and there are a few bookcases scattered about, not to many as there is another room just for books. Look at that green. Mmm
There’s a huge basement, garage and workshop, all rolled into one, together with a ‘playroom’ and an exercise area with a multi-gym, treadmill and a few other pieces of equipment. As it is so large there are two separate ways to get into the main house upstairs, one leads to the utility room, just off the kitchen, that way you can get washed off before going into the main house.
Too much detail ? A bit odd ? Maybe it is, who am I to know. One thing I do know is that I have a vision for the future. A dream if you like and the more detail I give it the more I can see it. If I can see it then one day it will be tangible. I can almost touch it now. I can feel that carpet under my feet, see those books on the coffee table and smell the soap on my hands after washing them in the back room, after a few hours spent tinkering in the basement.
We can all dream and wax lyrical, saying things like ‘Wouldn’t it be nice if…” or “One day I’ll have a…” but to make it happen you have to believe and plan. See it, design it and work out how you’re going to get it. I don’t have to say ‘One day it will be real’ because it’s already real.
How about you ? Made any plans lately ? Why not do it now, grab a piece of paper and a pen and start writing them down, everything you want. Clothes, car, house or whatever it is, give it some texture, colours, smells, noises, location. You can have it all my friends, exactly how you want it.
That’s me done for today. Till the next batch of randomness.
McBride.
Leave a Reply