Stephen Raap:
CLASS OF 1971
Auburn High SchoolClass of 1971
Rockford, IL
Beloit CollegeClass of 1976
Beloit, WI
Church Elementary SchoolClass of 1971
Rockford, IL
Church Elementary SchoolClass of 1965
Rockford, IL
Stephen's Story
April 1, 2011 (NOTE THE DATE ON THIS)
Life has become much more complicated after winning the lottery.
If you hadn'ÃÂt heard, well, you must be the only one, because there have been dozens of people hanging around at the bottom of my driveway just waiting for me to emerge with my winnings.
They'll aÃÂll have to wait. Once I scanned my lottery ticket at Pritzl's store in Rome (the Wisconsin town where I live) and all those bells and whistles began clanging and blowing, it was hard enough to get away and on the road to Madison immediately, before the hangers-on could begin hanging on.
After I collected what was left of my winnings after taxes (and I'm not going to tell you how much that was) I made a U-turn and headed back to Rome as fast as my Corolla would go. And that is where I am hunkered down now, trying to figure out what I ought to do next.
I'ÃÂve got a few ideas.
Right off, ten percent of my winnings will go to my house of worship, Woodland Lutheran Church in Rome. (That's a promise I made the Big Guy, should He ever allow this to happen.) That ought to take care of their needed roof replacement ÃÂand then some. Maybe the church will have to expand even, once people find out how blessed this town is to have a preacher like Pastor Stan Kwiecien in their midst.
Then there's Linda Raap. She, who has been the marriage partner who has done all the bill paying and saving these past 38 years of marriage; she, who has driven a number used cars past 200,000 miles over the years, and only once owned a new car (1984 Tempo) only to have it be run into by a deer, and she having driven it only 900 miles to that point; she, who has shopped only sales for her clothes, ÃÂincluding at Flee...Expand for more
t Farm, where she found some surprisingly snazzy duds; and she, who has put up with my alternately thrifty and spendthrift ways. Doesn'ÃÂt such a woman deserve a few luxuries from my lottery winnings?
I think so, too. And she shall have them. That is, she will, once Governor Walker figures out how he can actually put his policies into place. (There's a little matter of the law to consider here.) That'ÃÂs when Linda (the state worker that she was) will have to decide if she'ÃÂs ready for early retirement (she was and d9d), or ready to lose her hard-earned benefits one step at a time while she continues working (no, she didn't). Perhaps my lottery winnings will help persuade her.
If she is forced to retire early (which she was), then those who made that happen will also be forced to watch her throw her support full-time behind Russ Feingold'ÃÂs growing effort to clean up politics. Hell hath no fury like a woman forced to retire in the prime of her life at the peak of her powers. I pity those fools.
But I digress.
So, here I am, chock-full checkbook in hand, and you know what? I believe I'ÃÂll continue to work for a living. (Er, no, I retired 1-30-15)
For if there's one thing I've learned, it'ÃÂs that "The soul'ÃÂs joy lies in doing."ÃÂ Or so said Percy Bysshe Shelley, 1792-1822. He died by drowning at sea at 29 years young, while doing his seafaring thing. His widow went on to write the horror classic, Frankenstein.
What more do you need to know? By now you've guessed that I am a writer by trade. I hope to see you at the 45th Reunion this year. (Click the reunion tab for details, I believe.)
And if you believe I won the lottery, I have a bridge I'd like to sell to you.
---Raapster
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