Bizarre Update to the Prosperity Experiment

Ok. I have to warn you, this is going freak you out a little bit.

I started this experiment on Tuesday, June 2, 2009. I have a few million dollar bills left, and I hope to get a few more. So, if you sent me a SASE, you will get one as soon as I can get them to you.

Or, if you want to get your own, check out eBay and the category, "Everything Else" and type in million dollar bills. There are a lot of them on there. Pick which ones you like. They are also under the "novelties" tag.

So, I started this on Tuesday. Wednesday was pretty much a typical day, but most of the people at work I gave them to were pretty friendly to everyone. I saw a lot of smiles. It was great, a true "I-feel-like-Oprah-giving-the-cars-to-the-audience" great.

Thursday, I came to work, and the vibe was charged up, but not in a good way. Uh, oh. I went to the clean room where I work, and my supervisor says, "Um, we need to go to a meeting." Meeting? I felt it, but didn't say it. Ok. So, we go to the conference room and well, in short, I lost my job. I was shocked. I also learned that I wasn't the only one, but what could I do? I had two choices. Be angry and negative, or take the high road, chalk it up to just a part of being in business. I think you could guess which path I took.

So, I was full of mixed emotions, and yet, in a way, I felt the doors of opportunity open. Kind of like graduation day, when you work your butt off to get that important piece of paper that tells the world you actually achieved something. I felt like that in a way when I left with my "walking papers."

When QH, the love of my life came home, it was not a "glass-is-half-full" kind of conversation. He's seriously worried, and for me to say that I'm running around cheering, well, I'm a little scared too. But, I am also a firm believer that things will work out they will work out. I have to have faith that God will show me the path and tell me which way to go to help me through this, not just for myself but for the love of my life, too. I let it go. All the worry and the fear and the uncertainty and the anxiety. I let it go. Asked God, please help me with this one, ok?

This morning I took my MIL to file some paperwork in Brainerd (yes, fans of the movie "Fargo", THAT Brainerd!). We were on our way home when we stopped for lunch at the Grand Casino in Mille Lacs. We went to the Grand Buffet, had lunch and then thought, "Let's play a little while we are here." So, we set out to find some machines that might pay out. First, I wanted to get some one dollar bills so I could play, since I only had a ten dollar bill, a five dollar bill and a ten dollar bill that my MIL gave me that morning.

So, we stepped up to the cashier counter and there was a nice man by the name of Thomas who reminded me a little of George Carlin, the comedian. He made change for me and I set out for a machine. I found the Sizzlin' 7's machine and played 3 dollars and felt that it wasn't quite the one I was looking for. Somewhere I lost my MIL and thought, well, I'll find her later or she'll find me.

Then I saw a section called "Fall Fantasy" and over by that wall, I saw a fishing game machine and sat down and thought, "I still have that ten dollars she gave me this morning, I'll play that and then we'll go home."

I slid the ten dollar bill into the feeder, and I chose to play all the lines possible and bet 2 on everything. I hit the button. Nothing. I hit it again. Nothing. I hit it the third time...the lights start flashing, the wins are climbing and climbing and climbing. It won't stop! What did I do? I thought I broke the dang thing! Oh, no. I then saw the red button that said, "Cash Out" and pushed it, thinking I'd have that and play a couple more dollars. Thinking I at least won back my ten dollars.

That ten dollar bill I used, that my MIL gave me, I borrowed to her last week when she was out of cash and Walmart was so busy and chaotic that it was going to be a hassle getting to the ATM machine. She said she would pay me back and she did that morning. It was the money I gave that came back to me that brought about the next events.

Hold on to your hats, kids. I won over 400 dollars!! $400 DOLLARS!! I looked around and I can't see anyone around me, but I knew that if I didn't cash out, I would just blow it in the machines. I nearly ran to the cashier counter. There was Thomas, putting the largest amount of cash in stacks I've ever seen in my entire life in the drawers. He asked if I could wait while he put the money away, and I said, "Sure." I was thinking, "Gee, a couple of stacks of that money would probably eliminate all our problems. I smiled, thinking what it would be like, holding it for a few seconds and feeling it in my heart a little bit.

"How may I help you?" asked Thomas with a smile. I pushed the ticket to him, he looked at it, scanned the bar code to verify it and looked at it again, and said, "Didn't I just give you ten ones?" I smiled and said, "Yes, sir, you did!" and he looks at me, grins and says, "What did you do?!"

"I won! I've never ever won in my LIFE!" and he smiles and asked me how I would like it paid out. I told him, took my winnings, thanked him and then left to find my MIL.

I found her, she was on a progressive machine that was not doing anything for her. I told her what happened, my hands were still shaking and she laughed and said, "Well, let's get out of here then." And we left.

I called QH as soon as we got out to the car and he thought I was full of it. "Right! You can't win money like that on those kind of machines." I said, "Here. Ask your mother!" and I put the phone to her ear and she said, "She cheated!"

Of course, he was still doubtful until I got home and he saw the money in my hands.

It doesn't take all the worry away for him, he's been disappointed too many times before. You can't expect one event to convert a cynic overnight. And this is great, but it doesn't solve my unemployment problems or the long term effects that might entail. I acknowledge that and release it.

For me, it was relief, and a sign I'm on the right path. It restored my faith and eliminated any doubt I had if this experiment in prosperity would work or not.

I'm so excited about tomorrow, who knows what will happen!! I'll keep you posted!

Thank you,thank you,thank you, thank you,thank you!!!

I hope you all have many blessings come your way!!