Jared Lang

Lottery changes lives

Jared Lang | Highlands Today
Published: November 28, 2012

As a 17-year-old high school student with no real job, money is hard to come by. I get gas money and lunch money when I need it and rely on my birthday and other holidays to get me through most of the year.

When I was younger, I used to beg for candy every time I went shopping with my parents. The chocolate and gum lined up at the checkout counter was always so appealing to me and I felt cheated if I didn't get the item I wanted. Now, though, I see the importance of saving my money, no matter how little it is.

While driving around town, I noticed a billboard that has been looming in the back of my mind for days. The Florida Powerball is up to almost half a billion dollars and continues to grow.

This is an astonishingly high amount of money to win and I've been begging my parents to play ever since I saw the sign. I'm the type of person whose day is made by finding a quarter on the ground, let alone half a billion dollars.

I like to think that I would be responsible with the money if I won the lottery. I could pay for my education, my sister's education, and start investing in my children's education.

I could buy my parents a new house and support them for the rest of their lives. All of my family could come to me if they were ever going through hard times.

At the same time, however, I know that a little splurging would be in order.

With half a billion dollars, the world would be mine. I could travel the United States attending every major sporting event and concert, and even meet my favorite stars with an all-access VIP pass. I could buy any car I wanted: a red Lamborghini to cruise in on Friday nights and a black Mercedes for days when I wanted to seem a little more modest.

I could invest my money in the stock market, turning my half-billion into an empire. There would be Lang hotels and restaurants and maybe even a reality TV show. I could be the new Donald Trump, though hopefully with fuller hair and less public political views.

With all that money, I would invest in medical research. My state of the art labs would work closely with medicine experts to help cure diseases that have taken so many of our loved ones. I would start foundations and charities supporting children with little to no opportunity because I believe that only through education can lives really be changed for the better.

In my early retirement I would move to the shores of Southern California where I would spend all my morning surfing and my nights with the many influential friends I'd meet along the way.

As good as my plan sounds, I have come to terms with the fact that it will most likely not happen.

It would be amazing to win the lottery but I'll just have to work for my money like everyone else.

If any of you do happen to win the lottery though, don't forget about your favorite Wednesday columnist. I am more than willing to write a special column about the generosity of the Highlands Today's readers and will chronicle in detail what I do with your selfless gift.

In the meantime, I'll continue keeping my change jar and filling my gas tank $10 at a time.