I was walking home a few weeks ago. A strong, warm breeze played with my hair and pushed my coat open. The clouds resembled a tattered blanket, with the sun peeking through the holes now and again. This was my normal walk home, i take it practically every day, but today was especially nice. As I was about to turn the corner from the sidewalk i was on, I caught a glint in the flitting sunlight. It was a dull copper color. I moved closer to inspect what metallic object was reflecting the light, and I could just make out the Lincoln Memorial under all the years of accumulated filth. I picked up this penny, and twirled it in my hand. The other side, Lincoln’s face, was as good as new. The sidewalk formerly underneath the penny was not sunken in, but it was a bit cleaner than the rest, telling me the penny had been there for some time, but was not placed in the wet concrete intentionally, but dropped later on. I am not superstitious, but I know many believe a penny is only lucky if it is found heads up. "Just my luck," I thought, "A bad penny!" I tossed the penny, and it landed on the other side of the street. As I crossed, it caught my eye again. By a compulsion I still do not understand, I picked it up again. This time, it was heads up. It hit me then; this penny is a metaphore for my life. Often in life, I come across "bad pennies." I pick up these "bad pennies," and I think, "woe is me to find a bad penny." I do not toss them like I did this penny. I do not try to change my luck. I keep myself down by not changing my own fortune. When I do find a good penny, I expect it to be a sign that I will continue to find good pennies, and no bad ones will appear again. I trust in the good pennies so much, I do not look for the bad dimes in my life. Even if a dime is upside down, it is still worth ten times as much as a good penny. 

 I put this penny in my coat pocket, and to this day, I still have it there. Any time I think about what a bad life I have, i finger the penny and remind myself, it’s in my power to change things. I just have to know how to "throw" these things to work in my favor. I also have to look for the opportunities that may seem awful at first, but are actually very profitable in one way or another for someone.  Many children would have picked up this penny and thought it a very costly treasure. I, being older and wiser, know instead that it is priceless….