Every Monday, I’m picking from the List of Things to Try, Places to Go, Possible Acts that Help and Possible Fun to Have. It’s a list I made before The Project started and I’m still adding to it. If you have suggestions, please, feel free to throw them my way. I’m calling the list my Monday Dares, as I get overwhelmed just looking at the words “challenge” or “goal.”
This week: I will use my pennies.
We have a family secret. Every time my mind grazes over this one fact, I shudder a little. When I found out, I turned away in disgust. But, the compassionate side of me understood and we’ve worked through it. He’s promised never to do it again.
My husband, Harv, threw away a jar of pennies.
In his defense, he worked 90-hour weeks at the time and he needed to pack an apartment-full of bachelor glory in just a few hours. He haphazardly threw some of it (his bachelorness, not the pennies) into cardboard boxes and the rest (deemed unworthy, unneeded or too weirdly shaped) found a new home in the garbage bin.
He claims that pennies are worthless.
Okay, I give him that. Sort of. If you manage to save them and not throw them away, you only have to collect 10,000 to equal a hundred dollar bill. I guess I do have a spare bathtub I could use as a penny collector.
I don’t use pennies because I’m a coward. Is it just me, or do cashiers really sneer when you start pulling pennies out of your wallet? This uppity attitude is unfortunate- if I don’t give the cashier my pennies during a cash transaction, he will probably be forced to give me some of his pennies. Should I sneer? How about just a soft hiss?
Damned be the dirty looks! I will use my pennies!
photo: Simon Howden
