Dreaming

I was online today and saw that the Colorado Lottery was asking people what their dream vacation would be if they won the $80 million jackpot. It started me thinking about the things I could, and perhaps would, do if I had that type of windfall. No, I didn't run out to the store and buy a ticket. Dreaming is free, after all.

Oh, the things I could do if I had multiple millions at my disposal! Naturally, the first thing I would do (after recovering from the shock-induced coronary arrest) would be becoming debt-free. Millions or not, I am sure that there are many other people who would agree that having no debt would be heavenly. And then I would be able to do all of the good deeds I have always wished I could. I could help feed, clothe, and shelter those who are not as fortunate as I am. What joy to know that I could do something so small, but yet so large, and be able to relieve someone else's worries! 

I would love to donate clothing to a service that helps people get their feet under them, and have them be surprised when they reached into the pocket of their new suit coat to find some cash had been left there for them as a surprise. It would be like doing the whole Secret Santa thing on a grander scale, and all anonymously. 

I would be able to help with animals who have no homes or families, and provide them a place to live, perhaps even in a humans and animals rehabilitating each other type of setting. Maybe I could even find a way to protect some of the beautiful wild creatures of the world. 

I could set up scholarship programs that might be able to help people of all ages get an education and reinvest their skills into their communities. I could help fund arts education at schools that can't afford things like music classes or painting supplies. 

There are so many things I wish I could do. Some are very selfish. I'd like to take a trip to visit my family in Hungary. For one time in my life, I would fly first class, and be able to actually sleep in a horizontal position for a few hours. I'd like to have a flat in Budapest, and a house in my family's little village in western Hungary. I would take Trent to every Disney property in the world as we traveled to all the places we would like to see. And when we got back to the U.S.A., we would get some sort of home on wheels so that we could travel the country as we wished. The thought of all the places we could go has my mind boggled.

I don't have millions of dollars. Heck, I'd be excited to be able to call myself a "thousandaire." But from time to time, I can take a few dollars and donate them for food for homeless families. I can give used goods to resale stores to help people furnish their closets and homes on a smaller budget. I will continue to love dogs and tigers and elephants and wolves and whales and so on. And when I want to visit my family, I can get online and chat with them. I can always look at my photographs and travel back to the places I have been before. And visit new ones via books and computers. Life is good. And so is dreaming.