Occasionally I play the lottery. Typically, I’ll buy a ticket then not look at it for several days after the numbers have been drawn. It’s Schrodinger’s lottery ticket. For those few days, I’m a millionaire! And the dreams are glorious.
On this occasion, I paid $2 for a MegaMillions ticket and I won $25. A smart man would have pocketed the money but I was having fun, so I spent $2 on another MegaMillions, $3 on a Powerball, and $20 on a scratch-off. The scratch-off was a $30 winner! (Now up, $28 dollars) Again, a smart man would take the money and run but I have never purchased a $30 scratch-off before so I decide to let it ride. I ask the man behind the counter, “How do those $30 tickets do?” He replies, “Once you get ahead, you stay ahead with those.” I buy one. He extends the ticket toward me and I grab one end while he continues to hold the other end, narrows his eyes, and speaks deliberately to me, “You ain’t ahead yet.”
Around here they sell those scratch tickets in vending machines. On each machine, there is a sign that reads, “Gives No Change.”
I always thought that was surprisingly deep. But this guy, he knows what’s up.
“Give No Change” that’s beautiful!