The only time I have ever played or entered a raffle was in the third grade. It was some kind of charity auction, during a Saturday afternoon, school carnival. One of the prizes was a super awesome, high tech, clock radio. I was lusting in my heart for this, I wanted it so bad. Just before the raffle drawing was to begin, my parents came and found me to tell me it was time to go home. I pleaded, “We can’t go home yet! I entered the raffle!”

They were both unamused… and faithless… and tired… and decided to go home anyway without me, leaving me to walk home by myself later (the school was only three blocks from home).

When the raffle drawing finally got to the incredible clock radio, everything seemed like a dream… in slow motion… I heard Miss Burke (my third grade teacher) call out the winning number… I looked down at my raffle ticket… lo and behold, I WON! I really won!

Miss Burke was giddy with delight and frantically waved to me across the room to come up. Everyone was applauding and cheering as I walked through the crowd and approached to collect my prize.

I skipped all the way home, raced inside to the kitchen, and announced to my parents that I won the super prize that I TOLD THEM I was going to win.

And so began my delusional life-faith in believing that anything is possible and you can get anything you want if you dream hard enough…