Top 10 Lucky Things That Can Happen To You

Did you see on the news last weekend the high speed chase that showed suspected drug dealers throwing huge bundles of money out of the window while speeding down the freeway? At first sight, I thought that was just awesome. Then they showed cars stopping on the shoulder and the people getting out and picking up the bills as they blew across all lanes on the freeway. Some actually stopped and got out right in the middle of the road, without any concern for their safety.

Then the FBI informed us that these bills are traceable, and anyone that found the money should turn them in to the authorities. I don’t think that will happen, for if someone is going to park their car in the middle of the Interstate 5 to pick up as many 20’s and 100’s as they can without getting plowed into by another car, they probably figure that they earned their free money. They probably figured that today was their lucky day.

This got me thinking about the lucky days I have had, and the rewards that came from them. Here is my list of the Top 10 Lucky Events that can happen to you.

1. Winning a raffle. The odds are usually stacked against you, for with each ticket sold or given away, your odds of winning decrease. Everyone wants to be that “One in a Million” no matter what the prize is.

2. Winning the Lottery. Whether it is a scratcher, a trip to the big spin, or the grand daddy of all the Mega Millions Lottery, we all have our hopes and dreams each time we throw down our dollar and wish for redemption. Although most of us are usually losers, it is worth the buck to think of how we would spend an extra 100 million, isn’t it?

3. Getting a royal flush in poker. Everyone that plays poker, whether it is for chips, online, or for cash, knows the rush you get when you get the rarest of poker hands. You feel like it is your destiny when you turn over the last card to fill your hand. Man, that feeling is sweet.

4. Finding money in the coin return in a vending machine. I was going to say phone booth, but I don’t know if my younger readers know what that is. Prior to cell phones, people who wanted to call someone at their house used to put coins into a pay phone, and  Oh never mind. Finding coins in a paper machine (soon to disappear like the pay phones) is still exciting.

5. Sitting in traffic, pulling into a parking lot, and finding a front row spot just for you. People who have read “The Secret” will say it is positive thinking that enables you to get the good spot. No it isn’t. It is sheer luck, or as I call it when it happens to me “The Smith Charm”.

6. Having the winning bid on E-Bay. Sure, there are all kinds of tricks to winning. Wait until the last minute to bid, watch the competition and follow their bidding strategies and beat their bid by a few cents, but it is still a rush when you have been stressing in front of the computer screen for 3 days so you can save $5 on that hard to find holiday toy that is sold out at Toys R Us.

7. Finding money in the laundry. Technically, this is not luck, since the money was probably yours to start with. I still get all excited when I find a few bills floating around after I pull the clothes from the dryer. Even better is when you wear a dress jacket that has been hanging in the closet for a while, and it has a twenty in the pocket. Once again, sweet.

8. Finding a job when you are unemployed. Especially in this economy, when good hard working people are out of work because the greedy bosses at the top of the food chain decide to cut their losses, close up shop, and let everyone go. Checking the classifieds, craigslist, and cold calling everyone you know in your industry who may also be looking for the same job is hard. Then one day the clouds part, a bright ray of sunlight shines on that one HELP WANTED ad and you have found your dream job. With better pay, benefits, and holidays off with pay!

9. Going fishing with your buddies, and catching the biggest fish. I don’t know how the fish decide which worm looks better, but it usually is not the one at the end of my line. I like to go fishing, and it is a great feeling when you land the biggie.

10. Getting the right one to say “I Do”. I always had the same response when people used to tell me how lucky I was to have my wife by my side, and I would say “Luck has nothing to do with it.” But if you figure all the factors that go into meeting someone at just that moment, the sequence of events that take place afterwards, and factor in your personal track record, it is not just lucky, it is a miracle. Still, I consider myself very very lucky. I love you honey.

To the rest of you, some of these may have happened to you, or may happen somewhere in the future. I believe in magic, and I wish you all luck.