by Linda Castillo
I admit it I gave into the Powerball Lottery craze and I purchased a ticket for a chance to win $1.5 billion or even just a small portion of it for that matter! It is reported by lottery officials that this estimated $1.5 billion prize is not only the largest in the United States, but the world. With so much excitement and anticipation over the mega prize, even my father who rarely gambles purchased a ticket this past week.
Today I walked to the local store to purchase a ticket and there was a long line of customers ahead of me all doing the same and excited about the chance to become a member of the billionaire club. The Powerball Lottery has created a mass cultural experience waking up the thoughts of the ‘what if’ mentality inside everyone. The idea of coming into a fortune allows you to think freely about how you would live your life if there were no financial limitations. In fact, that was our dinner conversation last night. What would we do if we won? Maybe you would buy everyone in your family a house, pay for all your kids, nieces and nephews’ college education, start a community foundation fund, pay off all your bills, get a personal chef and trainer, travel the world, be a full-time mom, buy a bigger house and the list can go on and on. Taking a deeper look at what everyone wanted to do with the money it circled back to some of the most important things in life such as spending more time with your family, ensuring your family is taking care of, giving back to the community and living a life that you want.
I am sure that everyone will be intently tuned in to see if they have the lucky numbers tonight and anxiously waiting to see the announcement of the lucky winner(s). For all you who purchased a Powerball Lottery ticket – good luck!!
Linda Castillo is the Founder and Executive Editor of www.ModernLatina.com. She writes on topics that empower and inspire Latinas including art, motherhood, green living, culture, travel, and issues transforming the Latino community. Linda has earned a B.S. in Business and a M.S. in Mass Communications from San Jose State University.