This phrase was uttered about me today. Me! Now, I would never be one to consider myself lucky. I trip a lot, I break things, I rarely if ever win contests, and if I do it's for like a can of pop instead of say a trip to Bermuda. My mom, for those of you who don't know her, is a very lucky woman. If there is a contest to be won, my mom is your lady--then again, entering contests of all shapes and sizes happen to be one of her dearest pastimes. Almost every time I open my email I have something along these lines, "Renee Sturos wants you to win big! Here's your chance to win ______" insert any prize that comes to mind in the blank.
Well today at my beloved convenience store job, while selling booze, cigs and lotto tickets, one middle-aged man seemed keen on flirting with me. I didn't want to damper his day and tell him to get real, so I let him flatter me. He happened to have a lottery ticket that he wanted me to check. It was a two dollar winner. He seemed pleased. Not even with the winning ticket either, but with me, like I, personally made him the winner. So, he tells me to pick him out another winner. I thought to myself, man, you are wasting your time, this ticket's going to be a loser for sure. But I went for it anyway and decided on the ticket I always want but refuse to pony up the two bucks for, the It's a Wonderful Life ticket. He smiles at me and says, "luck be a lady," and then begins to scratch the ticket. What do you know, it's another two dollar winner. I mean, two dollars, who really cares, but, still I was sort of pleased that he had faith in me and it paid off. He tells me to pick him out another and I do. It is also a two dollar winner. At this point I am getting kind of pumped. And Mr. lotto man is beaming and telling other customers I am his lucky lady and I can't help but think he's right, well except for the fact that I'm most definitely not his lady, but lucky, sure, I'd buy that.
This next ticket is also, unbelievably a winner. But we'd moved up to the five dollar range! Hot damn, we were unstoppable! I asked him if he wanted a five dollar ticket now and he said no he'd take another two dollar one and keep the three dollars. Good move my friend. I am a firm believer that you should always take the money if it's more than two dollars. Hey I'm poor, five dollars could buy me a double cheeseburger meal at McDonalds.
Alas, I did not pick another winner. The streak was over, I was a tad disappointed, but I wasn't all that surprised, all good things must come to an end. Both of us were on somewhat of a high after those three wins in a row, however, because he left with a skip in his step and I had a renewed sense of self-belief. If this stranger could have an unyielding belief in what I could do--make him win--then why couldn't I apply that same faith in myself on a daily basis? It sounds like a stretch, sure, but the power of someone truly believing in me when they don't even know me, and it paying off despite my unluckiness, well that's just wonderful.
I may not ever win a trip to Bermuda, or more than two dollars on the lottery, but that isn't in fact what makes me a lucky lady after all.
