Winning

I've won a few things in my life. When I was in college I won a $300 drawing. I've won turkeys, hams, and quilts at bingo. I was a finalist in the Father of the Year Essay contest in High School.  I don't say "I never win anything" because I recognize it simply isn't true.

On Tuesday evening my sister and I went to mass then to the boys basketball game at the High School.  At the end of mass I was thinking about what I would buy from the concession stand and I decided then that I would buy some raffle tickets as well.  I don't usually buy any, so I'm not sure why I decided to that night. At every game there is a "Half and Half" Raffle. Half the money taken in goes out to the winner at half-time.

I bought my 20 tickets for $5 and found my spot on the bleachers.  When it came time for the drawing, I pulled out my stubs, and the number called was not in my string of tickets.  What are the odds anyway, right? The number was 987882.

My sister and I met our friend Arlene at the game.  She had immediately commented on my long string of tickets; I promptly ripped one off and handed it to her saying if she won she had to give me half.  We joked throughout the first half of the game at how funny it would be if she won and how few people were at the game, so if she did win we would both end up with about enough to buy a bottle of soda.

She went on about how she never wins anything, it was a waste to give her a ticket, she never gets drawn...
When we pulled out our tickets at half-time, I looked at my numbers for the first time. The last digits on the end tickets on my strip were 63 and 81.  I didn't even know which end I had taken hers from, so I asked:" what did I give you, 62 or 82?" Her reply: "82."

 I had a feeling it was going to be a winning night.  I definitely won. Not only did 'we' win (after collecting her $42 prize, Arlene promptly gave it all to me, and I gave her back $10), we had a fabulous moment of shock and a great laugh.  We have a good story to tell, and of course, those who know Arlene know that it couldn't have happened with a more perfectly suited friend for this sort of thing.

Be careful what you tell yourself will never happen. Don't miss an opportunity just because you think you "never win." Every day is a W!