“I was drawn to the lottery because my mother made it seem like a forbidden fruit”
Crystal Martin, left; Jessica Silvester and her mom Phyllis, right. Photo-Illustration: by Stevie Remsberg; Photos Courtesy of Crystal G. Martin and Jessica Silvester Get That Money is an exploration of the many ways we think about our finances — what we earn, what we have, and what we want.
Maybe, in addition to the pencils, I was drawn to the lottery because my mother made it seem like a forbidden fruit. In my neighborhood, liquor stores popped up on the corners that met the main thoroughfare, replacing the mom-and-pop electronics place or the record shop that had been there for years. Signs went up on their brick exteriors: Candy! Beer! Bigger than the rest was one that read LOTTO in fat, orange-and-yellow font. My mom almost never allowed me to go to those stores.
But I knew there was more to her distrust than that. At the very least, I can remember her making remarks like, “These fools’ll spend their last dime.” But she had no memory of saying those things to me. How is that possible? Is it because she’s softened with age? Because her emotional space for getting upset — about social issues or anything, really — has diminished over time?“Why do white people hate us?” I once asked her, standing in our tiny citrus-colored kitchen.
My mother bought lotto tickets casually and frequently, often at the dimly lit corner stationery store stocked with all the wrong flavors of seltzer. As a kid, I never thought much about it, and never realized how poor the odds actually were — for Powerball it’s now about one in 292 million — or how many people who played couldn’t really afford to lose. My mom could.
South Africa Latest News, South Africa Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
For ‘The Last Dance,’ Jason Hehir Went One-on-One With Michael JordanDirector Jason Hehir worked down to the final buzzer to bring ESPN’s 10-part series to life
Read more »
ServiceNow BrandVoice: Fighting COVID-19, One App At A TimeFrom drive-up testing to team coordination, see how apps can help organizations respond to COVID-19—fast.
Read more »
Every Time Target Restocks This $10 Tie-Dye Bralette, It Sells Out in One DayThere is nothing worse than a bra that pokes and prods at you, especially when you're spending your days at home. That's where the Colsie Scoop-Neck Bralette
Read more »
Italy's daily coronavirus death toll hits one-week lowDeaths from the COVID-19 epidemic in Italy rose by 433 on Sunday, the lowest daily tally in a week, and the number of new cases also slowed to 3,047 from a previous 3,491, the Civil Protection Agency said.
Read more »
Lady Gaga Hosts the “One World: Together at Home” Concert in Suitably Minimalist StyleLast night wasn’t the first time fans have witnessed Lady Gaga’s surprisingly minimal at-home style.
Read more »
SuperM Performs 'With You' for 'One World: Together at Home' Concert
Read more »