Lucky?

What does it mean to be "lucky" ?

I always thought that it meant you were someone who would win things.  You could win at cards or contests or slot machines.  My son seems to have this kind of luck in our family.  When the local library had a drawing his name was picked for the "Reading Is Fundamental" mug.  

Once when we were visiting New York and I wanted them to see Avenue Q The Musical because I'd seen it and it was phenomenal.   But there was only one night we could go and they were sold out.  I was SO disappointed but then, someone said they had a special deal where if you came to the box office
and entered into a drawing no later than 20 minutes BEFORE the show started there was a lottery for maybe 10 or 12 tickets and if your name was chosen, you could buy one or two front-row tickets at half-price.
Wow!  It was like two-for-one and it was a chance!  SO we all trooped back to the theatre at the appointed time and the four of us each filled out the little slip of paper and then we waited and sure enough, our son's name was called! The two of them got to see the play for next to nothing. Unbelievable!

While he was always lucky (to some degree) I can't say I am.  Years of filling out the Publisher's Clearinghouse Sweepstakes (by hand in those days) and mailing them off.  Then betting on office pools (date of baby's birth, baby's weight), trying those occasional lottery tickets, the rub-off tickets, the Mega-Millions and — nothing, nothing, nothing.

Still, I keep trying.  My latest venture has been twice a day entering the HGTV Urban Oasis and the DIY Blog Cabin sweepstakes.  The Urban Oasis is in Boston and while I love Boston, I have to say the decorating choices in the Urban Oasis leave a lot to be desired.  The color scheme seems outdated and there's this painted treatment of the bedroom ceiling that's just so hideous — I don't know what these folks were thinking.  Still, I enter twice a day and if I do win, there's a new car that's part of the deal so that's a clear win.

The Blog Cabin — now that is a place I'd love to have.  Waterside house, completely redone and recycled, sleeps a small bunch, beautifully orchestrated and landscaped outdoors with a great kitchen, fire pit, dining table, the works and I like the color palette inside!  If I win — if I win — I would have the place I've always dreamed of — a place near the water, near the beach, near the sound of lapping waves.  A home close to the aspect of Mother Nature that is my favorite and the one that I find regenerating, rejuvenating, and re-energizing.

On October 11 we'll find out if I won this gorgeous house — wish me luck!
 photographer Frank Murray

My son is at the kitchen table writing essays in Mandarin for a blog where he will be corrected by native speakers and he in turn will correct their work.  He does this in between work and working on the sci-fi book he's writing.

My husband is in the den polishing the final act of his play and getting ready to start the next one.

Far away in New Orleans my daughter will wake up and spend some part of her day writing jokes for her next open mike and writing about popular culture for P/Portable.  

I am on my couch, writing for this blog and it strikes me.  

All four of us — we are all writers.

Guess that's pretty lucky.