“Faith, as well-intentioned as it may be, must be built on facts, not fiction.

Faith in fiction is a damnable false hope.”

– Thomas A. Edison, American inventor and businessman

“If you win big,” she said, “remember that I’ve always admired you greatly.”

“I’ll share the wealth,” I replied, accepting the lottery ticket from my friend. It had fallen out of my shirt pocket when I’d withdrawn a business card. So I wasn’t surprised when I looked more closely at the ticket and discovered that it was for a draw date some five months prior.

“You’ll have to check that one soon,” she suggested. “Before it expires.”

I was reluctant to admit it, but at the time,...

Please subscribe to keep reading.