I was a student at Duke University when the first lottery was held.  Our dormitory had a pool for the lottery.  Approximately 100 guys in the dorm put $1 each into the pool.  The person whose birthday was drawn first in the lottery would win the pool of $100.  I "won" the pot of money when my number (No. 5) was drawn first.

I was pre-med, so when I got accepted to medical school, I went to the local Air Force recruiter and signed up for a scholarship program, where I was on active duty in the Air Force while attending medical school.  After medical school, I went through residency training in the Air Force, and then completed a total of 25 years in the Air Force, before retiring in 1996. 

As fate would have it, the lottery set me off on a successful and rewarding career in the Air Force.  Subsequently, both my children followed my path with ROTC scholarships and service in the Air Force.