There are many things people do, believe, or say that they consider lucky, things that good luck or good fortune. Some might say it's superstition, others a habit. Like the idea that Friday the 13th is bad luck, or that rubbing a rabbit's foot brings good luck. Or finding a four leaf clover. Or that a rainbow ends with a pot of gold. Whatever it might be, "tip homeless man before buying Lottery tickets" just got moved to the lucky list.
Back in April, Brandon Sedin visited the Idaho Lottery with a $200,000 winning Juggernaut Jackpot Scratch ticket and a simple, yet powerful story. Only minutes before he purchased his winning ticket from a Jacksons store on Milwaukee and Emerald in Boise, he had given a homeless man standing on the corner by the Boise Towne Square shopping area a few dollars. In his own words, "Wow, talk about karma!"
And while you may have heard this story already, the aftermath of this story is perhaps more compelling. Generally, the news media do not cover a win of $200,000. They generally also tend to cover stories that are less than positive. That's what makes this win, this story, all the more compelling. It became the positive, feel good Lottery story of May.
As the final top, six-figure prize of a Scratch Game, the Lottery released a public statement announcing the win and the official end of the game. Within minutes of the story's release, it quickly became widely publicized in the Treasure Valley. It was only a few days until "Idaho Gives Day", so the story's relevance took on a much larger meaning.
The next day, the Lottery was contacted by CNN in New York. We were also contacted by ABC National News and FOX National News. The story spread across America like a wildfire and was subsequently carried on affiliate television stations from Pittsburgh, to Atlanta, to New Orleans, all the way west to Fresno, California ÔÇô and a lot of places in between.
There's always a place in the media for a good story, and Mr. Sedin's is one of the best we've heard in quite some time. And while Sedin's intent may have only been to provide a nice gesture to an individual in need, we wonder how much his generosity, and story, sparked others to action across America to do something similar? Like a single drop that one day creates a lake, so to perhaps Mr. Sedin may have sparked an immeasurable social phenomenon. Perhaps that's the true karma of the story.
Which leads to our final, thoughtful question ÔÇô what makes you feel lucky or, what have you done that's brought you good karma?
