September 5, 2007

Ahh, the simple joy of finding coins on the ground.
Even if it's just a penny.

Once I pick up a coin, it's officially mine, free and clear.
No pangs of conscience over whether it should be returned because -- without exception -- it's impossible to know who dropped it.

Years ago, I used to have a recurring dream about finding coin after coin in a ditch or stream.... a seemingly unending number of coins, usually silver dollars.
As fast as I scooped up a handful, more would come into sight.
It was rather exhilarating.

Actually, I still have that dream from time to time.
I'm sure the psychoanalysts would say it's some kind of deep-rooted desire for easy money.
Could be, and that's OK with me.

It's odd how certain things will stick in your mind.... but I recall one particular day in 3rd or 4th grade at Joseph R. Lamar elementary school.

During recess, I found a quarter on the playground.
To me, that was a significant amount, so I took it to the office and told Mr. McCullum, our principal, of my discovery.

He looked at the quarter, put it on his desk, and told me to wait until the end of the day -- and if nobody came forward to claim the quarter, I could keep it.

I remember how the day crawled by, as I waited for the final bell.
The minute school ended I headed to Mr. McCullum's office and got the good news....
Nobody had claimed the quarter, so it was mine!

My cousin Frank Neal walked home with me that day, and we headed straight for the drug store, where we each got a Fudgesicle.... and I even had a nickel left over.
More than a half century later, that remains fresh in my mind as a really special day.

Some people are better than others at finding coins.
My wife Karen is a touring professional.
It's rare for her to walk across a parking lot or sidewalk without finding a coin or two.
I'm highly suspicious that she has some sort of metal detector implanted in her feet.
I only wish we'd kept a running tab on how much she's found (for tax purposes of course!)

Actually, some people do keep track of the coins they find.
I ran across a website where a guy in New Jersey writes every day about how much money he, or someone in his family, found (or didn't find) that day.
He usually includes interesting little comments about the circumstances of that day's discovery.
He's been doing it for years.

CLICK RIGHT HERE and check it out.
For some reason, I find it compelling reading.
It is, after all, the stuff that dreams are made of.

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