Winning the Lottery

The Powerball Jackpot in the Tennessee Lottery is up to $180 million dollars... and they are drawing numbers tonight.

Check out some of these 'normal folks' that won the lottery - various amounts from different games, from scratch-off cards to powerball. Personally, I dont play often. I get a card every now and then for a buck or two and I've even won a few dollars here and there (the highest amount $44, I believe).

It is fun, I have to admit. The Tennessee Lottery is still fairly new - we've only had it for a little over a year. Before that people would generally drive to Kentucky or other surrounding states to buy lottery tickets... if they played at all. Like I said, I dont play much. I've probably only bought 5 or 6 tickets in the last year and a half.

But with the jackpot up to $180 million... did I buy a Powerball ticket? Yes! 5 numbers, in fact... and I'll be watching tonight to see if they draw a winner, or if it goes on for another week.


Somebody will win tonight, no doubt. Our powerball has never gone over $200,000,000.00 - so if there isnt a winning ticket out there yet, you can bet there will be A LOT of ticket sales between now and Saturday!

Think about it - someone will win this insane amount of money. It could be a struggling college student, a retired couple, a young mother, your next door neighbor even... it could be anyone. It's entirely TOO much money for any one person, if you ask me. The interest you would draw on that kind of prize alone would be more than you could reasonably spend. But somebody will win it.

What would you do if you won the lottery?

I have just as much a chance to win the lottery as anyone else, and with a ticket in my hand... the thought of "what would I do with the money?" has passed through my mind more than once. Sure, the chances are 1 in a million (literally) - but someone has to be that ONE.

Your life would change overnight. The responsibility that comes with that kind of money would be life-changing in itself. I can only imagine how winners have felt when they first realized they were holding a winning ticket for such a large sum. Imagine yourself watching the 10 o'clock news when they call out the numbers, holding your card in your hand - and realizing that YOU were that ONE in a million. Seriously, close your eyes and just imagine that scenario for a minute!

What would you do?