WHAT I STOOP FOR

This morning, I went to my local food store for a coffee and roll, as I was coming out into the parking lot, there on the ground was a penny. It wasn’t particularly shinny, nor does it have a lot of value for a coin collector. What will I do with it? Well probably, spend it all in one place.

My guess is that most people would not stoop down to pick up a penny, but I do. Why? Conditioned reflex. Being poor when I was growing up, a penny carried a little more weight. Today there is no real value, except to me as a reminder.

A few years ago, when #1 Son was attending a small college in Virginia, outside a museum was a fountain. TLW (The Little Woman) was giving money to #2 Son to throw into the fountain and asked me for some change when she ran out. I was horrified that she would throw dimes, nickels and quarters away into a fountain! She laughed at me, and suggested I was cheap. When it comes to me, I am cheap. I never buy myself anything until people want to buy what I have as a collector’s item, so they can put it on EBay and sell it.

I stoop to remind myself that nothing should be wasted or taken for granted. I am not a rich man by far, but not poor by far also. I learned early on what it is to be without. A few years ago, I gave away a perfectly good car to some poor immigrant worker who was hard up, and wanted to buy it.

I never went away on a vacation until I went on my honeymoon! Dad didn’t make a whole lot of money, Mom stayed home so Dad could make a living and we were raised with a parent home at all times. TLW and I followed that course when we married and had kids. Especially since my daughter was born brain damaged, we had no choice. I always managed to provide.

I paid for my own education in college. I would rise at 4:00 in the AM, walk down to a train station and catch a 5:something train to Westbury. I hitched rides from the train station to school and back, and climbed the train to go home. I spent many days hungry because I didn’t have money to buy food and pay for books and art supplies or photo equipment at the same time. Some nights I worked after school, as well as on weekends. I had two jobs!

So, that penny I picked up this morning is nothing- nothing but symbolism.