Pictured here is Sandra Hayes. I've always been fascinated by how people react the moment they first realize that they won the lottery. Sandra won the lottery and she was kind enough to write a guest post to give us a glimpse into that moment. The following are her words:On April 11, 2006, 13 social workers pooled their money together to play Powerball from tickets purchased at a local QuickTrip in St. Louis, Missouri. Less than 24-hours later, on April 12, 2006, they won $224 Million dollars from the Missouri Powerball, myself included (That's $17,230,769 each).
I believe out of the 13 winners, I was the last to find out the good news, and probably the last one to fully grasp that this situation was indeed real and was really happening to me!
I usually watch the morning news while dressing for work, but that day I didn't even have time to turn the TV on because I was running late. So as I prepared to head out the door, I had no idea that I won the lottery. I had no idea that anybody won the lottery, for that matter. But I suddenly started to receive telephone calls at home while I dressed. My supervisor called me twice. The first time she called I thought I was getting fired because I was running late for work, but that was not the case. She simply wanted to know what time I would get to the office. Strange, I thought to myself as I reassured her that I would be on my way in just a few minutes.
I guess I took too long to finish getting ready, because about fifteen minutes later, she called my house again. When she called me the second time, a lump grew in my throat. When she asked me if I was sitting down, I told her yes, but I lied - the truth was that I was combing my hair.
It was then that she delivered the news that made me want to sit down as I felt my knees grew week. She told I won the lottery!
As soon as I hung up with my boss, the telephone rang yet again. This time it was my daughter. She asked me if I heard about the group of social workers in my office that won the lottery that morning. Still feeling foggy and confused I told her no, I hadn't heard that. "Well, did you play the lottery with them, too?" she pressed anxiously. I paused for a few seconds and considered her question. I did play the lottery. So I guess I did win? My daughter almost dropped the phone as she began screaming, "We're rich! We’re rich! I mean you're rich!" I thought she was kidding. The truth still hadn't set in.
As I finally started to walk out the door and head to work, I heard my telephone ring for what felt like the hundredth time that morning. When I answered, a co-worker asked me if I knew I had won the lottery. Again, I answered "no" because there was no way that such a momentous thing could be happening to me.
I believe most people would consider my reaction a state of shock. When your supervisor, daughter and a friend call you on your home telephone to tell you that you won the lottery and you don't believe them, you are in trouble. I thought it was a joke and even worse, I thought I was still in bed dreaming. A few hours later, the reality finally sunk in and I found out I was not dreaming, my life was changing forever.
Nearly six years later, I have become an author. My first book titled How Winning the Lottery Changed My Life chronicles my life before winning big and how dramatically different it became after I became a millionaire.
*** Here's a link to Sandra's book.









