Hello, Readers! Clevenger here.

Well, there’s a lot to unpack here. This question makes me think about the fact that 20 years ago, they always phrased it, “What would you do with a million dollars?” and now, it’s “Five Million” because everything is so much more expensive now. I think about how the “wishes” from last week were actually easier to dream up, because they are “limitless” and while money can solve a lot, there are still limits to what it can do. And I think about the fact that I’m privileged enough to think that, and can recognize that it’s not always been that way.

Well, I’ll try to tackle this in roughly the same way that Graham did. Keep a structure, and take care of the big things first.

So, focus. “What would I do with FIVE MILLION DOLLARS?”

“Would I continue to write?” Yes. Yes, I would. I started writing because I love it. Well, I started story-telling because I love it. I started writing because I was duped (duped I tell you!) into writing by Graham. But I love it. Writing has brought so much joy to my life, and yes, it’s a hard thing to do, but I’m not writing because of money, and I wouldn’t stop because of money. In fact, I would, like Graham, probably write more because I would have more freedom.

The first thing I would actually do with the cash is actually doing what I’ve been doing, just more rapidly. I would hire an accountant, a money manager and I would lay out the plans below, and let them use the tips and tricks to make it all happen. And to make sure that things work as expected and have little unintended consequences.

I would pay off all my debts (car, house, bills, etc.) and reduce the overhead of my household. I have the luxury of working a very well-paying job, and am, by most demographic and study data, officially “Middle-Class.” By removing the debt associated with my life, I would be able to maintain a comfortable lifestyle, without having to spend as much worry and dedication to working. With the free time, and movement of being able to not work, I would have much more time with friends, family, and writing.

Then I would set to pay-off debts, establish some funds (college, life-event, etc.) for the family and friends who have stayed on my path through both the best and hardest times. Graham, Rowe (aforementioned in Graham’s post), the Close Clan, the Noneman Clan, and the Little Squirrels, would all get any assistance they needed to ensure the future of their families and take burden off their shoulders. So would my Mom and Dad. I expect that the biggest chunk of this windfall would be here.

I would spend a few dollars on luxury that SOME people may not understand. Would I buy a fancy sports car? Nope. Would I jetset to exotic locations and Instagram the fact that I was “THERE”? Nah. Although I would like to do some traveling. What I would do, is put a bit of money into a “Vacation Game Home.” Something near a lake (maybe Dale Hollow, Tennessee), that is set up with a fantastic game table, a library of TTRPG’s (6 player guides, and 3 copies of every source book, plus a DM guide and bestiaries). I would set a little of cash aside so that my family (as above) could gather a few times a year and go down, play some RPG and then head out on the lake and enjoy some family time.

The rest of the money, much like Graham, would be invested in stability. One or two million invested in accounts so that I could have $100K or so to live off of, and with little overhead, use a lot of that money to enjoy life. Travel, conventions, and taking time to spend with my family and friends.

Writing outside of all this pressure would be a joy.

Now, am I as altruistic as Graham? Well.. it’s complicated.

First, I know some areas will only help themselves when they change fundamentally. And some are… less inclined to do so. When providing Graham the boost he would need (as described above) I would try very hard to relocate him from the South. Getting him somewhere more “liberal” such as where I live, would I think provide him an opportunity to not have to worry about just “existing” as a single man with “non-traditional” sexual orientation. While I would still love to see more tolerance around the nation, some areas are still more difficult than others.

Second, while I’m financially comfortable now… it has not always been so. My parents were teenagers when I was born. My mother dropped out of high school (which she went back and finished) to have me. Dad went immediately into factory work, and we eeked by for many, many years and were considered “lucky.” But what this meant is that we always had to spend money on essentials, and then we would see what was left over to buy “wants.” Often, there wasn’t much to go around.

I struggled for a decade after school, trying to find myself. I worked part-time retail jobs, barely making enough to live on. Supplementing life with student loans, trading one bill for another, and living check to check. So, there is a psychological block on “donating” money. I don’t know that I’ll ever “believe” that we could have a surplus fund. That there is money that we don’t “need” to survive.

So, if I had this extra cash, I would put my wife in charge of donations. I would set about to donate my time. I would volunteer at events raising awareness for mental health, as well as Pride events and other organizations promoting equality. If anyone would care to listen, I would love to do speaking tours about my own life and how my journey through mental health, as well as the friends and family in my life who are in the LGTBQIA+ community have changed me for the better.

I’m not sure how far down the list I would get before the money ran out? Who can tell? But it would be a good start. Build my foundation, then put myself in a position to help others (with or without money).

Well, that’s what I got.

Until next time….

Be Kind.

-Clevenger