No lottery wins, but still feeling lucky

Why do some people seem to have all the luck in the world while others have no luck whatsoever?

Delma Kinney, 51, of Atlanta is one of the lucky ones. He won $1 million in an instant lottery game in 2008, then did it again recently. Yes, two lottery wins in three years!

As Kinney told the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, he stopped at a convenience store to pick up some cold medicine, decided to buy an instant lottery ticket, and won another million bucks. It must be nice: one moment, you have a cold; the next moment, you’re blowing your nose on $100 bills.

The last time I stopped at a convenience store to buy cold medicine, I thought it was my lucky day too: the doughnuts were on sale.

That just goes to show you, of course, that whether you feel lucky or not depends on your expectations.

I feel lucky when I wake up in the morning, look out the window and see that no one has stolen our car.

I feel lucky when my wife prepares a healthful dinner for us and gives most of the vegetables to the kids.

I feel lucky when I switch channels on my TV and don’t see a single Kardashian.

I feel lucky when my wife exchanges more words with me on any given day than with her Facebook friends.

I feel lucky when I go for my annual physical and the doctor spends less time examining me than the guy at airport security.

I feel lucky when I’m standing in line at the grocery store and can catch up on Jennifer Aniston’s love life.

I feel lucky when I watch music videos with my children and the artists are wearing more than just their musical instruments.

I feel lucky when I can get a loan to buy a car and the loan officer at the bank doesn’t ask me if I can afford gas.

I feel lucky when the guy at the pawn shop doesn’t ask me whose earrings those are.

I feel lucky when everything works in my house: the dishwasher, the washing machine, the Alpha Male Plus pills.

I feel lucky when I tell my children to take a bath and at least one of them gets off the couch and asks, “Take it where, Daddy?”

I feel lucky when I can file my taxes less often than Billy Bob Thornton files for divorce.

I feel lucky when I visit the hairdresser and he doesn’t cut off more than a small section of my ear.

I feel lucky when I can go to the beach and do some reading –- all those words on well-tanned bodies.

I feel lucky when it’s a Friday night, the kids have gone to bed, and my wife whispers into my ear, “Do you feel lucky?”

“Yes, honey,” I say. “I do feel lucky.”

She smiles, pulls me closer and gives me a kiss. Then she sends me to the convenience store to buy lottery tickets.

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If you enjoyed this piece, you'll love Melvin's novel Bala Takes the Plunge, available in North America through Amazon.com and McNallyRobinson.com You can also find it at major bookstores in India and Sri Lanka or online at FlipKart, IndiaPlaza, FriendsofBooks or other sites. A number of readers have written reviews of the novel. An excerpt of the novel can be read here.