I was having dinner a while back with my dear friend Phyllis and we were catching up on all topics. For many years we met on a very regular basis to run the Loop in Central Park, but due to my back injury I’ve been sidelined for months so I haven’t seen her very often. We spent the meal deep in conversation about everything under the sun and this chatter continued as we moseyed on up Broadway at a leisurely pace.
It just so happened that the Mega Millions jackpot that week was $1.28 billion (remember that frenzy??) and when we walked past the little convenience store near West 72nd Street, we both popped in to buy a few tickets. The topic of hitting the lottery came up during dinner too and we enjoyed some lively banter about just what we would do with our respective fortunes should we win.
I’m sure many of you have dreamed about winning such a sum of money! I certainly have. I even made a list once of all the great ways I’d spend it. When Phyllis asked me the first thing I’d do with the loot, I immediately piped up with, “I’d get a trainer again and hit the gym. And oooooh I want a chef to make sure that I’m eating healthy. And I’d have a little fun. Like I’d give each of my parents a credit card and tell them that the rest of their purchases for the rest of their lives– they’re on me.”
“No new apartment?” she questioned. “Um, not immediately,” I said. “I’ve been in my current place for fifteen years and I’m pretty happy there. I have no idea where I’d even go!” “Well I’d buy a gorgeous place overlooking Central Park,” she mused. We kept walking and veered onto Amsterdam.
Just then we witnessed something terrifying and crazy. Out of nowhere a man rounded the corner right in front of us, cocked his fist back and punched a random guy right in the mouth! We immediately doubled back and as soon as we got a few feet away, I fished out my cell and called 911. The attacker proceeded to grab his victim and throw him to the ground. Then he took his wallet and threw it into the middle of the street. I was able to report this assault in real time to the police. Then, like nothing ever happened, the thug got up and casually walked away! I finished my police report when I saw the perp enter the subway station and we dashed back over to see if the victim was okay. He seemed shaken but physically he wasn’t badly hurt. I told him I had phoned the police and he thanked us.
We continued our walk up Amsterdam and both of us were completely stunned by the event that had just taken place… right in front of our eyes… in broad daylight… and in my neighborhood! I was a little teary and she was in shock. We got ice cream at Emack & Bolio’s on Amsterdam to calm us down. It was hard not to look in every possible direction as we made our way back downtown. Some violent attacker was still out there presumably roaming the streets of my otherwise safe ‘hood?
When we got to the corner where the incident originally occurred, we saw the victim talking with two police officers. We rushed over. I told them I had seen the entire thing and that I phoned it in. They took a picture of my license and asked for my phone number and they let us know that they caught the perp! They showed me a camera phone shot of the assailant and I confirmed that was the man I saw commit the unprovoked random attack. We felt relieved.
We kept walking, hearts beating fast as we recounted the events of our evening. It wasn’t long before talk circled back to the lottery. And suddenly it hit me—I don’t need a trainer—I have a beautiful full-service gym right in my apartment building. And I do not need a chef either—I have access to fresh, healthy food in several local grocery stores. My parents are both alive and well and need for nothing. It appears I had already hit the jackpot.
So during this season of exaggerated consumerism and overt consumption, I find myself especially grateful for what I already have on my plate and the people in my life that I love and cherish. But… it WOULD still be extraordinarily fun to give those unlimited charge cards to the parental units! And some additional motivation from a trainer wouldn’t be a terrible thing, right?
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