Life Lottery.

Jamie Goldstein

Writing II

Prompt 3

Life is a lottery. It’s a game of chance. No it’s not fair, that’s the point. We are only as fortunate as the circumstances we are born into. Sure, there’s the odd tale of the poor young boy who works hard and, against the odds, finds success, but he’s the exception, not the rule. I’m not in NYU because I’m exceptionally smart, I’m here because I was born into a family that could pay for a good education for me. I was born into a family that would foster my curious mindset. I won the lottery. 

Not all of us can win though. If you’re born in Africa, well, sorry. Maybe you’ll live to 50 if you’re lucky. But I can guarantee you that no matter how hard you work, you’re not going to advance your station in life very much. If you’re born in a good neighborhood in suburban America, with good schools and good kids, you’ll probably do well. Otherwise, good luck. You can try to act like a white suburbanite, but without an extraordinary effort, living out the classical American Dream can be almost impossible. It’s not your fault, it’s just chance. You just lost the lottery.