Post by Rhonda on Jul 31, 2006 21:35:52 GMT -5
"Heaven "cent"
by Bob Perks
I often wondered where they came from. You might refer to them as "pennies from
heaven." When I was a kid I always thought of them as lucky.
"Find a penny, pick it up. And all day you'll have good luck!" Or so the story
goes.
When you see a coin on the ground do you stop to pick it up? I do. My wife
laughs at me. I recently asked my audience that question and found that some
said "yes" while others wouldn't be bothered.
"Not worth it," one man said. "A dollar, yeah!"
I seem to find a lot of coins. Except my version of the saying goes: "Find a
penny, pick it up. And all day you'll....have an extra penny." I don't believe
in luck.
Oh, yes. A few members of my audience said it has to be face up. It's bad luck
if it's face down.
But how does it get there and why do I seem to find a lot of it? I just figured
people drop it and are in such a hurry they don't even bother. Perhaps it
happens without notice. Or maybe, just maybe, someone does it on purpose.
What? Throw money away on purpose?
I met one man that does just that.
"I love it!" he said with a broad smile. "Hey I'm not rich or nothin'. I just
feel like I'm giving them hope."
I discovered this angel sitting in front of the local mall. He appeared to be
in his mid sixties, balding, clean shaven and fairly well dressed. There are
steps to the food court and a ramp off to the right for easy wheel chair access.
He was sitting on the small wall between the two. I had just pulled into a spot
I don't normally get when parking at the mall. Second space in, right near the
main entrance. As I was walking toward the steps I saw a penny rolling down the
hill toward me. I stepped on it and looked up to see where it came from.
"Sir, is this yours?" I asked the man. "Not anymore!" he said as he tossed two
more.
"I know I can't hold onto money myself, but I never threw it away in a parking
lot," I said laughing.
"I'm just having fun," he said. "Do you remember when you were a kid and you
found money? Wow! That was exciting! Well, when I have extra change in my
pocket I toss it one by one as I'm walking."
"Why don't you save it and cash it in. It adds up you know," I said to him as
he dropped one more.
"Think about what this does. Some kid or adult finds the coin. They think
'Boy, that's lucky!' and it changes the way they face the rest of their day.
Now they think they're lucky. So they expect good things for a while," he said
as he stood up.
"Sometimes I wait to watch their faces. It's worth every cent," he continued.
"So if these are pennies from heaven, you must be an angel," I said.
"No far from it. I just like to give people hope," he said. "And a little
luck."
"Well, my friend. I don't believe in luck. But because I found this I got to
meet you. So I'll just believe it's
'heaven cent' if you'll excuse my pun."
"There is no excuse for that pun!" he said laughing as he turned and headed for
the mall.
So now every time I find a coin in a parking lot, I'll remember this man. I
figure he wasn't wealthy. He wasn't throwing dollar bills down. But he
reminded me that every where we go we should leave a bit of ourselves behind.
Something that brings a smile to a strangers face or hope for a little while.
It makes "cents" to me! (I know, there was no excuse for that one either.)
by Bob Perks
I often wondered where they came from. You might refer to them as "pennies from
heaven." When I was a kid I always thought of them as lucky.
"Find a penny, pick it up. And all day you'll have good luck!" Or so the story
goes.
When you see a coin on the ground do you stop to pick it up? I do. My wife
laughs at me. I recently asked my audience that question and found that some
said "yes" while others wouldn't be bothered.
"Not worth it," one man said. "A dollar, yeah!"
I seem to find a lot of coins. Except my version of the saying goes: "Find a
penny, pick it up. And all day you'll....have an extra penny." I don't believe
in luck.
Oh, yes. A few members of my audience said it has to be face up. It's bad luck
if it's face down.
But how does it get there and why do I seem to find a lot of it? I just figured
people drop it and are in such a hurry they don't even bother. Perhaps it
happens without notice. Or maybe, just maybe, someone does it on purpose.
What? Throw money away on purpose?
I met one man that does just that.
"I love it!" he said with a broad smile. "Hey I'm not rich or nothin'. I just
feel like I'm giving them hope."
I discovered this angel sitting in front of the local mall. He appeared to be
in his mid sixties, balding, clean shaven and fairly well dressed. There are
steps to the food court and a ramp off to the right for easy wheel chair access.
He was sitting on the small wall between the two. I had just pulled into a spot
I don't normally get when parking at the mall. Second space in, right near the
main entrance. As I was walking toward the steps I saw a penny rolling down the
hill toward me. I stepped on it and looked up to see where it came from.
"Sir, is this yours?" I asked the man. "Not anymore!" he said as he tossed two
more.
"I know I can't hold onto money myself, but I never threw it away in a parking
lot," I said laughing.
"I'm just having fun," he said. "Do you remember when you were a kid and you
found money? Wow! That was exciting! Well, when I have extra change in my
pocket I toss it one by one as I'm walking."
"Why don't you save it and cash it in. It adds up you know," I said to him as
he dropped one more.
"Think about what this does. Some kid or adult finds the coin. They think
'Boy, that's lucky!' and it changes the way they face the rest of their day.
Now they think they're lucky. So they expect good things for a while," he said
as he stood up.
"Sometimes I wait to watch their faces. It's worth every cent," he continued.
"So if these are pennies from heaven, you must be an angel," I said.
"No far from it. I just like to give people hope," he said. "And a little
luck."
"Well, my friend. I don't believe in luck. But because I found this I got to
meet you. So I'll just believe it's
'heaven cent' if you'll excuse my pun."
"There is no excuse for that pun!" he said laughing as he turned and headed for
the mall.
So now every time I find a coin in a parking lot, I'll remember this man. I
figure he wasn't wealthy. He wasn't throwing dollar bills down. But he
reminded me that every where we go we should leave a bit of ourselves behind.
Something that brings a smile to a strangers face or hope for a little while.
It makes "cents" to me! (I know, there was no excuse for that one either.)