not so much beautiful as very lucky
walking home from my mum's house about a year ago, totally skint. i needed £40 immediately, or my internet would be ruthlessly cut off by cable. mum couldn't help me, she'd just been hit with a massive gas bill herself.
head down, i trudged onwards. then, i spotted something shiny, lying in the gutter. i stooped and picked it up. it was £1.
"wow, that's lucky," i thought. then i thought a bit more. "maybe it really IS lucky. i think i'll find out."
so, with my street treasure clasped in my sweaty palm, i went into my local newsagents and bought a £1 scratchcard*. i started to scratch off the coating, looking for the elusive number three that would tell me i'd won. i was having my very own charlie bucket moment here. first row, bugger, no three. second row, double bugger, no three. third row, look at that! a three! i knew i'd probably only won a pound, so i decided that if that was the case, i'd just keep the pound.
i began scratching off the prize panel. i saw a pound sign, then a one. "oh well," i thought, "i haven't lost anything". but i wasn't done yet. next to the one was a zero, then another.
i'd won £100. i haven't made a sound that high-pitched since i was 7. seriously, there were dolphins in the north sea going "what the fuck was that?" i was utterly delighted. i cashed in my winning ticket, paid my bill and went home to phone mum and tell her. she was happier than me! she'd been so worried about me not having enough money and felt guilty for not being able to help me out.
i know £100 isn't really a great deal of money, but it brought both my mother and me a great deal of happiness that day.

*it was a cash for three card, for anyone who's interested
( Smash Monkey lowering the tone of the whole internet, Fri 6 Aug 2010, 18:15, 2 replies)

Reminds me of the time when I was younger
and I'd met up with some old friends for a beer or two. I spent all my money which was a bugger as the hangover was raging and I had no food for breakfast. Walking out the flat I found 25 quid in the gutter. 2 whole notes, woo! Bought the three of us a great breakfast...
( Jimbuktu See? Right here, Fri 6 Aug 2010, 20:47, closed)

it's great when things like that happen
i'm of the belief that, when you really need something, you'll get it
( Smash Monkey lowering the tone of the whole internet, Fri 6 Aug 2010, 20:48, closed)