Two Dollars

Last week, the news could hardly be turned on without hearing talk of the Powerball as it surged to its largest prize in its history, soaring to nearly $1.6 billion – a number so large that it did not even fit on Powerball billboards which were designed years ago to cap out at $999 million. It seemed as though everyone wanted a piece of the prize, and hopes were high across the nation as people forked over $2 to buy their ticket and then dream of the possibilities of quitting jobs, paying off college debts, traveling the world and buying mansions, despite the one in 292 million odds.

According...