you won the lottery!
publisher’s page
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photo by steed media service |
Ever wonder how the other half lives? You know, the 2 percent of the population that don’t have to scuffle and hustle for every good thing that comes their way. Folks who hit the genetic lottery in the talent, athletic skills, beauty and brains department make life look so easy. They extend their elongated limbs and tackle, kick, dribble, throw and run their way into our homes via the idiot box and make us feel woefully inadequate. To be sure, it does take a considerable amount of effort and training to compete at the top tier of any athletic profession. But, you can’t coach somebody into a 7-foot frame; they either have the raw material or they don’t.
Most of us can’t warble a children’s tune without mangling it beyond all recognition. Hence our fascination and adoration for those whose voices have been kissed with magic lottery dust. Creative people, whether they wield a pen or paintbrush, touch and inspire us in incomprehensible ways. We may not be able to explain why we are laughing or crying, we just know that the work strikes a deep chord within us.
The luck lottery might skip over the majority of us, but while our gifted brothers and sisters are collecting accolades and racking up fame and fortune, we mere mortals have a ticket to pull, too. Your IQ might not register in Einstein territory, but if you are blessed with common sense, you have truly been granted a precious prize. You can’t study for it, train for it, buy it, sell it, coach it or teach it. You can, however, put your lagniappe to good use. And, why not? After all, you are a winner, and that’s what winners do.
Everyone loves a winner. We erect monuments to them, pen songs about them and create larger-than-life legends about their escapades. We are awe-struck and inspired by their ingenuity — as well we should be — because we recognize the rarity of the gift. It’s natural to gravitate towards the brightest lights, but we may be extinguishing our own light in the process.
Guess what? You won the lottery! Now what are you going to do? Sit on your bounty till your eyelids close forever, blow it on nonsense, or figure out a way to share your largesse with your brethren. It’s your choice to make. Perhaps the best gift of all is making someone else a winner, too.
Munson Steed, Publisher
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