Lottery, Writing Contests and Other Dreams

One of my guilty pleasures is playing the lottery.  Three lotteries, actually...
www.masslottery.com
     

www.wabber.com

My favorite is Lucky for Life, because it's enough to be comfortable and happy, but not so much that it would attract a huge amount of attention.  At least, that's my theory.
And I only buy one ticket with whatever multipliers are available.  A week, it costs me about $14.  Two lunches.  One lunch if it's in the North End or Downtown Boston.  And only one per drawing.  I ran a lottery pool at work for several years.  HUNDREDS of tickets were bought.  The most we ever won was $80.  My odds are as good with one ticket as with 100.

Then I realized I didn't have any dreams left.  Nothing exciting to hope for.  That little tingle when I wake up in the morning and think to myself This could be the day!  All gone.   

Much like the lottery, I send my books out to writing contracts, publishers and agents.  I figure the odds are about as good.  And I've been rejected about a gazillion times.  Some were from people I met at writer's conferences.  They were extremely positive and supportive when I had my ticket in hand and then acted like I was a stalker when I approached them later.  Whine, whine, whine...





At one point, I became depressed at the rejection and losing and decided to quit putting myself out there and getting hurt and disappointed and frustrated.  I decided to be strong.  And accept my life for what it is.




And to have nothing to look forward to was a million--a gazillion--times worse than the rejection and pain and frustration.

So, I'm back to buying lottery tickets and entering contests and submitting to agents and editors and publishers.  And the little tingle is back..






Joseph Addison