I sometimes wonder what I would do if I where to recieve two million dollars. I picked the number roughly at random, realizing that a single million dollars would go too quickly and I would never be able to fulfill my dreams completely with that amount of money. There are many things' one could do with such money though I think I would limit its use to a degree. I would specifically:

• Only use the money for things that lead to a long term enrichment of my life
• Not use it to support crass commercialism
• Find ways to use it to promote positive social change

By no means am I mother Teresa or an ardent moralist. I admit that I would spend the money largely to benefit my own interest, but I would hope that while I work for my own self gain, that it would help others. It might be very difficult to find a balance. Some of the things I would do with the money:

Keep Working on My Degree and Keep My Job

It seems silly to continue working so hard if I had so much money to fall back on. Yet, I see getting my Political Science degree up in Plattsburgh, and working hard key to my long-term success. Money might be nice, but it fails to build character that is gained through working hard and making progressive change happening. Also, on the balance, I might be able to take a pay cut and spend more of my efforts volunteering and organizing for political change should I have that much money.

Invest the Money

One of the most important parts about getting money, is that you invest it. I would try to invest it in socially conscious funds. This would give me more money in the long run to spend on causes that I really care about, and make the social change that I dream to see happen in our world.

Buy a Farm

I want to have some acres in beautiful rolling country where I can raise some animals and be out in nature all the time. I want to control the world around me, get my hands in the dirt, and feel that I actually own something every day of my life. Somehow I just love the idea of being closer to the land, then being stuck in some high-rise office complex.

Get Some Toys

He who dies with the most toys wins. Sorry. As they typical American boy, I want the shiny new Silverado truck, a new four-wheeler, and a snowmobile. Not mention other less fun toys for working around the farm. Toys aren't everything, and we have to careful that the toys don't do things to the self that wouldn't be benifical.

Use it for Political Action

Certainly some of it could be used simply to give to causes that I support. Yet, I beleive a more important use of the money would be to enable me to particpate and do the activism that I so desire to do. It's one thing to give money in politics, it's another olunteer, to get invloved, to be the change you so desire.