A SOLDIER'S PERSPECTIVE
THE WEB'S LEADING MILITARY BLOG SINCE 2004
As long as I can remember, I’ve been picking things up off the ground. When I first got married as a young private in the Army, I couldn’t afford to buy a clue, much less anything to put in a house. Our furniture consisted of a milk crate upon which we places a small 10″ screen TV, a wicker, egg-shaped chair that folded you into a paperclip when you sat it in, and a dresser (that’s what we called our suitcases). For a bed, we went to a mattress store and pulled out a queen size mattress and box spring from beside the dumpster and stuck in on the floor in our room – no frame. You should have seen our little Suzuki Esteem carry these things back home on top of the car. One strong gust of wind and we’d have been blown into Monterey Bay car and all (we lived in Monterey, CA at the time). We had a wabbly card table for a kitchen table in our dining room. The house echoed nicely when you spoke. The hardwood floors served well as my desk, so long as I was lying on my stomach. The best thing we had in that house was a stereo system I’d had for when I used to DJ.
After a few months of that, some friends from church asked us if we’d watch their kids for an afternoon and evening. Later that evening, the doorbell rang. I looked to the peephole to find the family standing outside. The door wasn’t locked and they obviously had keys to their own house. I opened the door to an enormous, “SURPRISE!” My eyes gazed past them and fixed on a little wooden chair. They told me that the rest of it was in the back of the truck. Their entire purpose for leaving that day was to buy Emily and I a solid oak desk with chair and dresser. Actually, the church had purchased it for us. Apparently, clothes should be in a drawers not on the floor in a suitcase. Of course, if you ask Emily, I still don’t get that concept. My clothes are everywhere. I now had a chair and desk to do my homework on (I was in an intense Spanish immersion course at the Army’s Defense Language Institute, Foreign Language Center). We were speachless and still have that dresser and desk after 10 years, even though it doesn’t really go with anything anymore.
Anyway, if I see something of value on the ground, I pick it up, especially money. I don’t care if it’s a penny or a $50 bill. Today as I was walking into the PX, I noticed a nickel and penny on the ground. Hey, that’s $.06. I thought to myself, “how much money do I think I’ve picked up from a parking lot or sidewalk in my life?” Then I thought, “mmmm…..Taco Bell.” After that thought was gone, I thought it would be a neat idea to document my “Parking Lot Penny” exploits and find out how much money I indeed make bending down and freeing these coins from their miserable lots in life. It’s gotta suck just lying there and letting cars run over you all the time. I woudn’t like it. Some pennies have obviously been waiting a long time for a savior to come by and pick them up so they can become a useful member of the monetary society.
For some reason, it seems soldiers just don’t respect their pennies. You find them everywhere from a parking lot to the PT field to the counters next to a cash register (apparently because it’s too difficult to carry around the extra weight of a few cents). If I see ‘em, I’m picking them up. And from now on, I’ll be keeping track of all the money I find on the streets and in my daily doings and writing it down here. I start with the nickel and penny I found today in the PX parking lot. I’m calling my project, Parking Lot Pennies. Check back often for updates.
Until I’m a millionaire (that’s a hundred million pennies), I remain……
CJ
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Anonymous
Little girls are really good at collecting those pennies! They’re closer to the ground you know!
When my daughter was three, she collected found pennies. By the time she was six, she had enough to take our family of four to Disney World. Even though we lived in Orlando, it was still a big to do at the time. That was how she wanted to spend her pennies. She was so very proud!
CJ
I hear ya. My three year is good at it too. My kids are constantly looking for money on the ground, left in change machines, and under video games. My son is like a spare change magnet at 7. Of course, they don’t let me have the money so I don’t include it in my blog. I will also give them any money I find while they are with me, thus diminishing my findings as well.
Yvonne
My 6 yr old son collects pennies. Grandma’s save their pennies for him, I give him my spare pennies, and he also picks them up off the ground. He has yet to meet a bad penny that he has to walk by it and not touch it. All his penny collecting he started when he was 5 and he ended up having $26.00 in pennies!! He used a third of that fer Christmas gifts last year and saved the rest. His Penny Bank (not Piggy Bank) is full and he has another more than half way full, I see it going over $26.00 this time. But it’s sad cuz he is a 6 yr old with more money than his two teenage sisters *combined!*, lol!
On a side note, I just want to thank you and all of the soldiers for a fine job you are doing. My son is in boot camp right now and graduates on Sept 16, 2005. He is in the Navy at Great Lakes, IL. I’m a proud Mom who supports her son! Take care and God Bless.
Yvonne
Chrissy
Every penny counts!
Warthog555
I pick them up for good luck. Paper clips too!
hoho
a penny saved is a penny that goes to chuck norris… or else
Rob
Chuck Norris invented the penny. And the dime. The nickel was Steven Seagal.
Capt B
Great idea. I know a few small monkeys (kids) that Im going to have start doing this for me. Good job as I saw your site on Military.com. Stay tuff-Capt B
BPDwife
My better half has always taken the pennies from any change he receives and tosses them into the parking lot of wherever we may be. I asked him once why he did that and he said that it was his way of getting good karma. Someone else could use them since he wouldn’t be. We’ve been together two years, and it’s now become a habit for the two of us.
I always shook my head at him wondering who could possibly want his pennies… now I know.
On Jan 31st of this year, he was involved in a vehicle-stop and during the scuffle, he received one round from a fellow officer’s 40-cal weapon in the chest. He was wearing his vest and survived with little damage. One of the first things he told me when I saw him in the hospital bed was that his karma from his pennies had helped save his life…
M.E. DePalma
A Penny
You always hear the usual stories of pennies on the sidewalk being good luck, gifts from angels, etc. This is the first time I’ve ever heard this twist on the story. Gives you something to think about.
Several years ago, Arlene and her husband were invited to
spend the weekend at the husband’s employer’s home. Arlene
was nervous about the weekend. The boss was very wealthy, with a fine
home on the waterway, and cars costing more than her house.
The first day and evening went well, and Arlene was delighted to have
this rare glimpse into how the very wealthy live. The husband’s
employer was quite generous as a host, and took them to the finest
restaurants. Arlene knew she would never have the opportunity to
indulge in this kind of extravagance again, so was enjoying herself immensely.
As the three of them were about to enter an exclusive restaurant that evening, the boss was walking slightly ahead of Arlene and her husband. He stopped suddenly, looking down on the pavement for a long, silent moment.
Arlene wondered if she was supposed to pass him. There was nothing on
the ground except a single darkened penny that someone had dropped, and a few cigarette butts. Still silent, the man reached down and picked up the penny. He held it up and smiled, then put it in his pocket as if he had
found a great treasure. How absurd! What need did this man have for a
single penny? Why would he even take the time to stop and pick it up?
Throughout dinner, the entire scene nagged at her. Finally, she could
stand it no longer. She causally mentioned that her daughter once had a
coin collection, and asked if the penny he had found had been of some
value.
A smile crept across the man’s face as he reached into his pocket
for the penny and held it out for her to see. She had seen many pennies
before! What was the point of this?
“Look at it.” He said. “Read what it says.”
She read the words “United States of America.”
“No, not that; read further.”
“One cent?” “No, keep reading.”
“In God we Trust?”
“Yes,”
“And?”
“And if I trust in God, the name of God is holy, even on a coin.
Whenever I find a coin I see that inscription. It is written on every
single United States coin, but we never seem to notice it! God drops
a message right in front of me telling me to trust Him? Who am I to pass it by? When I see a coin, I pray, I stop to see if my trust IS in God at that moment.
I pick the coin up as a response to God; that I do trust in Him.
For a short time, at least, I cherish it as if it were gold.
I think it is God’s way of starting a conversation with me.
Lucky for me, God is patient and pennies are plentiful!
When I was out shopping today, I found a penny on the sidewalk.
I stopped and picked it up, and realized that I had been worrying and
fretting in my mind about things I cannot change. I read the words, “In God We Trust,” and had to laugh. Yes, God, I get the message.
It seems that I have been finding an inordinate number of pennies
in the last few months, but then, pennies are plentiful!
And, God is patient…
Khillard
While working yesterday, I had a penny experience.
It was during my last day of temporary work for a local legal aid office. During my short assignment, I enjoyed working here. I kept my purse to the left side of my seat. After finishing preparing a legal document for filing with the court, and seeing that my work was caught up, I sat at my desk pondering what I was going to feel when I left for the last time later that afternoon. I so wanted to work full time for legal aid.
There wasn’t anyone near me. As I sat there, a penny hit the floor. I looked around, thinking that one of the attorneys threw the penny to see if I would pick it up. Like I said, no one was there. I got up from my chair, left the penny where it lay and asked the other assistant to come see the penny. She couldn’t see the big deal with the penny. I told her I received an email about pennies being sent from guardian angels to let you know they are with you. I picked up the penny and stuck it in my pocket. Upon leaving legal aid for the last time, one of the attorneys asked if I would be interested in working for them, should they decide to hire someone. Until this assignment I had been unemployed. Now after the assignment, I am once again unemployed, but I know God does miracles as my penny is proof of it–”In God we trust.”