“Destiny has two ways of crushing us – by refusing our wishes and by fulfilling them.”
Henri Frederic Amiel
In other words, be careful what you wish for because unbeknownst to most, there are always pesky strings attached.
The latest big story making the news has been the Powerball Lottery with an obscene jackpot of over $1.5 billion. To make sure that I am making myself clear, 1billion = 1,000,000,000,000 (twelve zeros) dollars.
The lucky (?) people whose wishes have been fulfilled might be in for a nasty surprise.
As Roman rhetorician Marcus Fabius Quintilianus said a long time ago: “Nothing is more dangerous to men than a sudden change of fortune.”
The inconspicuous silky strings (five times stronger than steel) hanging from the jackpot might very well ensnare and destroy you.
The most common consequences of winning big jackpots are: loss of friends, divorces, lawsuits, and yes, murder.
And few people are smart enough to escape unscathed the lottery winning curse.
You cannot undo a wish come true, but if you are semi-smart, the first thing to do if you win big is to go underground and scrub your Facebook and all your other social media accounts.
There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that your vaunted Facebook friends will immediately want to strengthen their friendship with you. And so will the relatives that you have not spoken to since Neil Armstrong landed on the moon.
You should also change your name (it can be done), possibly your face, your phone number, your e-mail address and preferably move to another country. Switzerland might be nice. If you can (discreetly) prove that your are well off, the Swiss won’t quibble.
If you are in a shaky relationship, your winnings will immediately start open warfare.
You might welcome a divorce, but it is going to cost you big time. And you will never be sure that your next paramour will fancy you for your looks or for your cash.
Don’t be a numbskull. If you ever come into money, don’t be a Donald. Be a Whitey Bulger.
Wishing upon a star is a dangerous hobby. If you want to live happily ever after, scale down your wishes (a good meal, a pétanque win, good health) and enjoy the small things that Lady Luck granted you.
Keep in mind that there are always strings attached, even on the 72 virgins.
One last thing… if I personally ever win big at the lottery (extremely unlikely) I have never known any of you.
On second thought, if you happen to come into money, let’s do lunch. I have an extremely interesting proposition for you.
Your pragmatic advisor
Alain aka Iznogoud