Not A Winner
“I can’t help but wonder about the odds.” Pull Quote. By Don Allen - Journal of A Black Teacher (2025) Since the Minnesota State Lottery launched in the Fall of 1989, I have bought three or four tickets. Every time I scanned one, the kiosk flashed the same verdict: “ Not A Winner .” Not exactly life-changing, just a gentle smack to my daydreams of a $300 million jackpot: a Bentley in the driveway, a 10-bedroom home on five acres, and a full country spread, farm (corn, watermelons, tomatoes, herbs), sheep, goats, horses, hogs, cows, dogs, cats, barns, the works. I get it, the lure of ‘winning’ is a sophisticated construct built on powerful digital marketing platforms. Poor people (me) want more. It's interesting to think about the lottery. While I buy that ticket for a shot at millions, I can’t help but wonder about the odds. Paying a dollar feels like a small investment, but in reality, the chances of winning anything significant are incredibly slim. It sort of feels like a gamble...