While I may not actually agree with the sentiment that winning is the only thing, the Vince Lombardi quote seems like an appropriate title to the following blog about my brush with lady luck.
Lady Luck
Back in December of 2018, I won tickets to a local music act. It wasn’t the first time I’d won something from a radio station, and it wouldn’t be the last. January of 2019, the same radio station ran a Sing For Your Rent competition which I entered. The winner was to receive $1,500. Spoiler alert: I won. My winning song was played on air at the end of the contest, becoming my first song to actually hit airways on an FM station! The song, which is on YouTube, can be viewed here: Singing For My Rent
The following months I won two other contests. By March I had noticed the fact I’d won something every month, and then made it a goal to win something every month for the rest of the year! Most of my prizes came from Radio contests which entailed being the right caller with the right answer at the right time. I actually continued my streak all through 2020 and into 2021, going a total of 29 months in a row of winning something.
Some months my winnings were small, like $2 from a $1 Badger 5 state lottery ticket. Other months’ bigger winnings included: Timber Rattlers’ baseball tickets, Gamblers’ Hockey tickets, and Tenderloins Comedy Troupe (The Impractical Jokers) tickets. I ate a lot of free pizza these months as well. This year I also won a costume contest with my pizza costume. I also remember a time back in college when I won something at just the right time.
The luck runs deep
I was on the college basketball team and we decided to purchase personalized shooting warm-up shirts. These shirts cost $26, which meant I owed my coach $26 for several weeks and kept forgetting. One night after a home game, Coach bought some 50/50 raffle tickets. In an act of pure kindness, he gave me and a couple other teammates one of his tickets. The 50/50 pot wasn’t too large that night, the winner would get exactly $26. “Wouldn’t it be funny,” I thought to myself, “if I won the $26 with the ticket my coach bought for me? It’s exactly how much I owe him!” Funny indeed! And sure enough, I won the raffle! I immediately paid coach what I owed him. I am recalling this memory as I grapple with the future possibilities.
Moving forward
I may or may not be required to pay a large sum of money that was just brought to my attention last month. Wouldn’t it be funny if I could win the exact amount of money I owe? Fingers crossed.