Tuesday, March 17, 2009

Luck of the Irish


Yes, I should have posted this little story yesterday, but being retired I didn't. My husband is part Irish (also some Scot and English) and he definitely has the luck of the Irish. He is the one who stands in the fastest moving line at the store, wins the door prize at the charity events, and has the closest parking place open up just before he gets there.

I, on the other hand, have to work hard at my luck. This past Saturday was different.

I had headed out to the drugstore to buy more milk for my thirsty grandchildren and to pick up a few other things. I also had to stop by the drugstore and see if there was a toy or two that I could bring home to the little ones, being the spoiler that I am. When I reached the drugstore I saw that the lot was full of cars and I had to squeeze carefully between two large vans to get one of the few remaining places.

The weather was cold and gloomy and I darted between the raindrops toward the front door following another grandmother with her little granddaughter. Once inside, I found a 'Cars' model that Xman did not have and I found a cute little plastic Dora for Sha. The lines were long at the register, but I waited patiently.

When I finally got back outside I noticed that most of the parking lot had cleared and my car was one of only two or three left in the lot. I hurried to the drivers side and just as I opened the car door, I noticed a five dollar bill lying at my feet on the pavement. It was well worn, but just sitting there grinning up at me. I picked it up and looked around to see if anyone was near and also to see if this was some 'candid camera' incident. I never find lost money! (Well, there was that one time, but that is another story.)

I stuffed the bill in my bag and got into the car and backed out. As I pulled forward passing all the empty parking spaces I noticed more 'paper' fluttering gently across the pavement at the far end of the lot before the exit. I stopped my car at a crazy angle and got out to collect quite a few bills scattered across the pavement.

I collected the money, looked up and around and saw no one outside, and got back in the car and pulled into an empty parking space and counted my find. $106.00! Yes, I was happy to find this money, but I am a Puritan deep inside and I knew this much money might mean much more to the someone who lost it. The money was lost at a distant end of the parking lot, quite a ways from any store. I sat in the car for 5 minutes waiting to see if someone came out of the drugstore or returned their car to the lot and appeared to be looking for something. But no one appeared, and after the last car left the lot, so did I.

I headed home and now must think of something 'good' to do with this windfall.

10 comments:

  1. it seems like you found a four-leaf clover that day. :)

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  2. WOW! I would love to find a similar confetti drop! I found a rumpled $20 once, in the parking lot of our art museum.

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  3. I would be tempted to go to another parking lot, scatter the money again and hide with my own camera to see what another person would do. LOL

    We found $20 at the State Fair. It was a time I was very poor and the children and I could do little but walk around. The $20 gave us rides and good food.

    We debated what to do with the money first and as we looked around at people we might turn it over to, we realized it would probably just end up in their pocket rather than ours so we used our luck to enhance our fun.

    I am eager to read other suggestions.

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  4. I think the wee people left the money for you. Enjoy!

    Happy St. Paddy's Day to ye'.

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  5. "Pennies from Heaven?"
    Don't spend all of your new-found money at once....Enjoy!

    Happy St. Patty's Day you lucky thing!
    : )

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  6. What a coincidence! I lost $106 in a parking lot on Saturday... ;)

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  7. That's just freaky good luck. WOW

    Grandbabies have emotional power over all of us grandmas. ;)

    I love your old stories. That one was very scary!

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  8. How lucky is that? I hope I don't see you on the TV show called What would you do? I hope you treat yourself.

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  9. Anonymous10:17 AM

    Luck of the green! All I could think about is how much that might have meant when you were younger and poorer, at least that would have been true for me. These days it would just merge with the grocery bills and get lost in the paper green money shuffle.

    I'll watch for you on Candid Camera or whatever they are calling it these days.

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Take your time...take a deep breath...then hit me with your best shot.