$70 MILLION SECRETS

So, this week sees OZ Lotto jackpot to a whopping seventy million dollars.

Seventy million.  What the fuck would you do with all that money?  I can’t even think in numbers that big… what would you do with it?

Seventy million.

Would you blow it?  Would you invest it?  Would you discreetly change your life?  Would you rub it in everyone’s face and scream it from the highest building?

Would you tell anyone?

Now that’s the question.  Would you tell anyone you had just won seventy million dollars?

I wouldn’t.  Well… I would naturally tell Charlie, Iris and my bosses, because I’d be instantly retiring, but anyone else?  Possibly not.

Why?

Well, Charlie and I were having a chat about this very thing the other week when the OZ Lotto was only like thirteen million (only!).  What would we do?

You see, the first thing that some people would do if they got wind of your good fortune, is ask you for money.  I know you’re laughing reading that statement, because you know it’s true.  All of the friends and family that you haven’t seen for fucken years, and some you didn’t even know you had, would come crawling out of the woodwork with their fucken hands out.

Then of course, there are the friends that would withdraw from you, because they are jealous of your good fortune.  Jealous is a harsh word, but you know what I mean.

They could be battlers, doing it hard to make ends meet, and here you are; the extreme opposite of them, and set for the rest of your life. It would be a hard pill to swallow, and some people would find it difficult to not throw that back in your face.  The odd quip or crack about ‘not having to struggle’, or ‘being out of touch with real people’, would test a friendship as envy takes hold.

I know myself, that I’m envious of some family and friends that do exceptionally well for themselves.  Like, I’m really happy for them, because I would hate to see people I love struggling, but part of me wishes I was in their shoes.  It doesn’t impact or affect our friendships/relationships at all, but it’s there.  Unspoken.

I tell you this; you would find out who your true friends are. Very quickly.  Those that asked for a hand-out would hate you if you refused, and those that have to sit back and watch your life change, could withdraw through jealousy.

A windfall like this could tear relationships apart. 

A windfall like this could be a curse.

But not if you didn’t tell anyone.

I wouldn’t. 

What I would do, though, is quietly go about my business.  I’d pay off my house.  I would buy a new car, but not an obvious, ridiculously flashy one that would attract unnecessary attention.  I would possibly do some things around the house like new furniture, renovate the bathroom, finish the paving, and such.  I would hire a gardener and a house keeper. 

I would take care of Iris so she never had to want for anything for the rest of her life.

I would plan out how I could help Charlie achieve and live his dreams.

I would donate some money to charity… maybe set up an educational scholarship for local smart kids that can’t afford a quality education.

Then I would sit back and think about what I’m going to do with this vast fortune and the rest of my life. 

I doubt I would even tell Jade.  Apart from the fact that she’s possibly not mature enough to keep a secret like that, and apart from the fact that her mother would be after Charlie for money if she found out, I actually think it would be too much for her to handle.

Pressure from her mother, her mother’s family and her friends would really test Jade’s need to please.  I could see her being placed into some difficult positions; positions where she could be taken advantage of.  Sometimes ignorance is the best protection.

Seventy million dollars.  Seventy million secrets. 

All of your problems would be solved, wouldn’t they?  Well, most of them. 

However, one wonders if there is a karmic price to pay for something like this. 

Everything comes with a price, doesn’t it? 

Sure.  But I’d have seventy million reasons to have fun with it in the meantime! 

Peace out.