The Luck of the Unlucky

The combination of luck and ambition is lethal. I faced it. Rarely, although it's not nice to count certain things. Yes, I know, talking about luck and ambition in the same decade is an event. Let's recount the confrontation. On New Year's Eve, thinking about childhood, I bought the traditional "scratch-off ticket" from a kiosk (which still sells newspapers) in a shopping center. I bet three lei on luck. Once home, I opened the "ticket," and - pure luck - I won three lei. For a few days, I was at a crossroads. What to do, use the money I won to buy another ticket or frame the luck directly? I went to the shopping center, and since the frame store was closed, I decided to buy another ticket. Easy to say. "We only sell tickets; if you want the winnings, you have to go to the Romanian Lottery!" Woe is us, a simple calculation indicated that if I wanted the three lei won after an investment of three lei (I know, zero profit, but don't shatter my illusion that I was lucky), I had to invest six beautiful lei in a metro card. I thought that the lady wasn't very accurate in her expression, and a couple of kilometers away I knew there was a neighborhood lotto agency, why not try there? You don't leave luck behind. Said, done, and accomplished. "Sure, I can give you the winnings, but you need to fill in the ticket with your name, ID series and number, CNP, and also present your identity document." The last part saved me from making a fool of myself by not knowing my CNP. "I don't have it, but I'll be back." Here, ambition appeared. If I've spun around so much and wasted some time, let's take things to the end. I went home, took the document, returned to the agency, filled in the details, and picked up another ticket. I can't tell you if it's a winner or not; I'm not crazy enough to open it and waste time and energy again in case of a win. Luck is no joke. In too large doses, it can be lethal.