Last November, Edwin Castro of Altadena, Calif., won a record-breaking Powerball jackpot of $2.04 billion (that’s with a “b”). The number is so astronomical that the announcement wrote the “$.04” in decimals as if $40 million was hardly worth mentioning. State officials reported that Castro finally came forward with his winning ticket on Valentine’s Day but declined to speak to reporters or give his address or even say how old he was. If he knew what’s good for him he probably changed his name, had plastic surgery and moved out of the country.
Meanwhile, back in Iowa, on Valentine’s Day, Aaron McDermott of Altoona also won the lottery. He had bought a Lotto America ticket at the local Kum & Go but didn’t bother to check if he won anything until the night drawing when he arrived at work. After all, what’s the odds? The odds against Castro winning the Powerball were 1 in 292,201,338. The odds of getting struck by lightning are vastly better at 1 in 15,000. Your chances of getting attacked by a bear are 1 in 2.1 million. The chances of getting hit by a falling tree are 1 in 268,920. There is only a 1.2 percent chance a high school football player will ever get to play for the NFL. So why would Mr. McDermott expect to win the lottery?
But he did. When McDermott realized he had won, he could scarcely believe it. Lottery officials reported, “He was so surprised, he started shaking.” And unlike Edwin Castrol, Aaron McDermott made no attempt to hide his identity or keep his win a secret. In fact, he walked around at work all day with the winning ticket around his neck.
McDermott worked the night shift and although his wife was asleep in bed when he discovered he had won, he called and woke her up to tell her the news. “She was still in bed when I called,” he told lottery officials.” “I heard her scream.”
All things considered, there are probably worse ways to wake up. When asked what they plan to do with their $20,000 jackpot, the McDermotts said they will pay off some bills and buy a new bed. (Now they have to buy a new bed? She must have been really surprised!) Curiously, comments on the Internet did not seem to share in the joy of the McDermotts’ good fortune.
One wrote, “People win small amounts like this all the time….I’m not sure why this was national news.” Another scoffed at the $20,000, calling it “grocery store money.” Another wrote, “20K, 12K after taxes…yawn.” And another commentor chimed in, “Even if the government doesn’t take 35% of that win, getting excited by that amount shows how pathetically poor too many Americans are.”
First of all, $20,000 is not nothing. You can buy a lot with that much—like a down payment on a house or …several eggs. And, although Mr. Castro’s jackpot has a few more zeros at the end, the McDermotts’ unexpected happiness is just as real. Maybe $20,000 doesn’t make them rich. They won’t quit their jobs or buy a yacht or go into hiding. But for a while, they get to feel lucky and maybe even a little bit more hopeful for the future.