So, about that Mega Millions jackpot…

I got nothing.

Despite the astronomical odds that make Lloyd Christmas’s chances with Mary Swanson a virtual certainty, it’s almost tougher not to play the lottery. And that is precisely how the game is designed.

It’s a thrill. It’s a chance. It’s a gamble.

But, what if…what if on that one chilly morning, the day after purchasing a few tickets at the local grocery store, a row of numbers line up in a surreal sequence? What if the numbers in just one row perfectly match the Mega Millions fortune that is a dollar amount that’s difficult to even comprehend?

A win like that makes spending $1, $5 or $20 seem like a genius investment.

Even if you don’t win, it’s still worth the excitement of being a part of something truly grand. The same goes for taking a chance in America, which does not guarantee anything but a chance. The Price is Right, Wheel of Fortune, Jeopardy and Who Wants to be a Millionaire (to name a few) are classic American institutions based on the chance of winning something big. There is an equal opportunity of being selected or of winning. This rush of adrenaline can produce any number of outcomes, some of which can be nothing…but one random decision one day just may turn out to be absolutely brilliant and life-altering.

You never know and that’s the point. And it is extremely tough to resist those once-in-a-lifetime opportunities when they present themselves.

Because what if Mary Swanson/the lottery says yes…?