Still crazy after all these years

After checking the lottery tickets last night, I determined I would still be working this morning.  Even at my advanced age, the minor thrill I get from spending illusory lottery riches is certainly worth the $2.00 price of admission.  I promptly bought another, so I can have 3 days to spend the more than one billion dollars at risk for Wednesday's drawing.  What can inspire an otherwise sober and anti gambling person to even fantasize about winning a lottery?  I wish I knew, but along with millions of fellow Americans and Canadians, I will take another shot at nearly 300,000,000 to 1 odds.  The easy answer is that someone has to win, and it might as well be me.  Or, as a bygone lottery motto put it, "You've got to be in it to win it".  However, I think there is a deeper answer to this addiction.  I wouldn't even consider entering the contest for a mere $40,000,000, even though the difference between that sum and one billion dollars wouldn't make a significant difference in my remaining years on this earth.  The lure is the shared conviction with many others that this is our chance to join the 1% and share in the mostly unearned wealth that they have accumulated.  For most of us, the lottery, even at fantastic odds is the only way we can gain entry to that rarified company.