winnings

Just read this article, about the 3 teachers in Maryland who won the mega lottery, and are not only planning to keep their jobs, but also planning on remaining anonymous.

Without reading the comments (which are always the negative, squeaky wheel types), I came away from the article thinking:

1. Wow, how noble that they love their jobs so much that they still want to keep them after winning millions of dollars. Their schools and students are lucky to have people that love to teach so much. I think this is also a wise decision, because it will help them to keep some sort of normalcy in their lives (though if they hated their jobs, this is their chance to go do the job they felt they couldn't afford to do). Remaining anonymous will also help them to maintain normalcy as well. Of course they have plans to travel, buy houses, and put their kids through school, but nothing that will send them over the deep end.

2. My second thought was, how on earth are they going to remain anonymous? The article gave away so many details about them, they could have just as well said their names. The article gave genders, approximate ages, general job descriptions, and their plans for how they wanted to spend the money. If I were a student or other teacher at the school, I would probably have it figured out.

After reading the comments, I am going to maintain my thoughts, even though there were a lot of disparaging comments about how rich people don't want to help people get jobs, and that if these three would quit their jobs, they would be providing some young teachers with jobs. They are being selfish by keeping their jobs, is what a few people implied. Silly, foolish people. How are three people who each hold multiple jobs going to create many jobs by quitting theirs? At most, they will create a small handful of jobs (a couple of them had to work multiple jobs). But it seems that the young hopeful teacher that would pick up these jobs would also then have to have a second or third job. I'm not trying to say there isn't anything wrong with the situation of people not being able to find a job, but that three teachers who won the lottery giving up their jobs that they love is not the solution. Plus, they will be providing jobs in other ways, by buying new houses (and selling their old ones), putting their kids through college, and traveling. Think things through, people.

Anyway, squeaky-wheels aside, I think, off the top of my head, that I too would want to remain as anonymous as possible if I won the lottery. Of course, if CNN described me in the same way that they "anonymously" described these three teachers, I'm sure it would be hard to keep it a secret. And even though I don't really have a job right now, I would like to say that I would still want to be productive with my time.

Here is what I would do with my millions (sorry I'm so boring. But it is seriously what I would want to do)....Top Ten:

1. Pay off school loans (and any debts that our immediate family might have).
2. Repay the amount of the generous scholarship that I received in order to be able to go to seminary, so that the school can send someone else to seminary. Probably would give 2-3 times that amount, because why not?
3. Fund a couple of people to go and work or teach here for 5 years. Probably would send us too, after a few more years.
4. Fund Steve to get a PhD.
5. Donate some to this school, with specifications that they have to use it on student housing repairs.
6. Set up some sort of program where people who want to do some sort of year or two long mission commitments can give up their home to long-term missionaries who are home on furlough. Not sure how this would look. It just came to me.
7. Start a business that employs, trains, and treats well, single mothers (daycare provided as a benefit).
8. Oh man. It is so hard to spend this money. I guess "invest some of it" should go here (as if these other ones aren't investments!).
9. College funds for our kids (and a few others...perhaps set up some sort of scholarships for those who need it).
10. Cottage in Estonia (had to have one frivolous one in there).




Can you tell that Learning is my number one strength?  Ironically I'm sitting here spending money I don't have instead of doing the homework that so desperately needs to get done. Futuristic is my number two, so it keeps me dreaming. Nothing ever gets done though.

How would you spend your lottery winnings? (If lottery isn't your thing, pretend you are related to an old, rich benefactor).