Man, I remember it like it was yesterday, even though it was way back in February 2019. I was just chilling on my couch, you know, scrolling through my phone, probably avoiding doing actual work, when I stumbled upon my horoscope. I’m a Virgo, right? And usually, I just skim these things, laugh a bit, and move on. But that day, something caught my eye. It said something about ‘unexpected financial gains’ and a ‘chance for a windfall.’ It even threw in a line about taking a leap of faith. My brain kinda just… stopped scrolling.
Now, I ain’t usually one for all that woo-woo stuff, but a ‘windfall’ for a Virgo in February? My mind immediately went to the lottery. I mean, what else is a ‘windfall’ for a regular guy like me? So, I started thinking. Could this actually be it? My big break? I wasn’t gonna go crazy, but a few bucks for a ticket? Why not, right? It felt like the universe was practically nudging me.
The next morning, I woke up with this weird buzz. It wasn’t my usual morning dread; it was a sort of hopeful energy. I told myself, “Andi, this is it. Today’s the day you at least give it a shot.” I knew the Powerball draw was coming up that week, and the jackpot was pretty decent. Not life-changing huge, but enough to make you feel real good. I decided that was my target.
First thing I did was grab a pen and paper. I started digging. I pulled out my old birthdate, my mom’s, my lucky number from when I was a kid playing baseball. I even checked some ‘hot numbers’ online, though that felt a bit like cheating the universe. I wrote down a bunch, scratched some out, changed my mind a dozen times. It was a whole thing, felt like I was cracking some secret code or something, even though deep down, I knew it was all just random. Finally, I settled on a set of five numbers and a Powerball number. They felt… right, somehow. Probably just confirmation bias, but hey, a guy can dream.
After I had my numbers sorted, I had to physically go buy the ticket. I told myself I’d only buy one, just to “test the waters” with this whole horoscope thing. I walked down to the corner store, the one with the grumpy guy behind the counter who always looked like he’d rather be anywhere else. I approached the counter, feeling a bit silly but also a little pumped. “One Powerball ticket, quick pick,” I said, then quickly changed my mind. “No, actually, I have my own numbers.” I rattled them off, and the guy just punched them in without a word, like he’d seen a million dreamers before me.
I held that ticket like it was gold. Folded it nice and neat, tucked it into my wallet, right behind my driver’s license. For the next two days, man, my head was just in the clouds. Every time I thought about it, a little smile crept onto my face. I started imagining what I’d do with the money. Pay off my car, finally get those new tires, maybe even take a small trip. Nothing crazy, just a little breathing room. I even caught myself daydreaming about telling my buddies the story, “Yeah, my horoscope told me to do it!”
The night of the draw came, and I was surprisingly calm. I got home from work, ate some leftovers, and then sat down with my phone. The numbers usually get posted online pretty fast. I pulled out that ticket, smoothed it out on the table. My heart started beating a little faster, I gotta admit. I opened the lottery app and there they were, the winning numbers. I started ticking them off one by one, comparing them to my chosen set.
First number: Nope. My number was 12, theirs was 7. My shoulders slumped a bit. Second number: Mine was 28, theirs was 28! Okay, so one match! A little spark of hope there. Third number: Mine was 33, theirs was 35. Close, but no cigar. Fourth number: My 45, their 40. Nope. Fifth number: My 52, their 48. Damn. And the Powerball number? Mine was 17, theirs was 21. Total bust on the big one.
I sat there for a minute, just staring at the numbers, then at my ticket. One match. That’s it. Didn’t even win a free ticket. The ‘windfall’ was, well, not a windfall. It was just an optimistic blip in my otherwise normal February 2019. I wasn’t really disappointed, though. More like a chuckle escaped me. The universe, it seemed, had a different definition of ‘unexpected financial gains’ or maybe it was just having a laugh at my expense.
I crumpled up the ticket and tossed it in the trash. No big deal. It was a fun little experiment, a silly moment of hope. I guess sometimes you just gotta follow those little nudges, even if they don’t lead to a giant pile of cash. It made those few days a lot more interesting, and honestly, that’s almost as good as a small win sometimes. Almost.
