Luck

I love mornings like this. The sun was shining, a slight breeze blew and just a few people were walking in the park. Barker, my pride and joy mutt rambled along, sniffing the ground and chasing squirrels. As I ambled along, I noticed something shining out from under some leaves and dirt. I found a penny. I dug it out. It was shiny on one side, dull and dirty on the other. How interesting. I wondered what its story was. Maybe it’s good luck. I’m feeling luckier already. With a bounce to my step I continued my walk. It was just a penny but there was something about it, something different. I smiled a greeting to passers by while Barker deposited his special hello on the ground. Ah the joys of dog ownership. I picked up his gift and continued on. It was when throwing that aromatic gift away that I noticed the hole in the bag and mess on my hand. “Oh, Barker. This is disgusting,” I thought. The bathroom was closed for renovation so I wiped my hand on the grass in a seldom used area in the park. My so called good luck charm was holding out on me. Maybe it takes a minute to set in. We finished our walk and went home. Fortunately, no other lucky incidents popped up (or should I say pooped up.)

When we got home, I washed both my hands and that awesome lucky penny. Clean, it looked strange. Something was off about it. One side was still shiny, the other dull. But that wasn’t the only issue. There was no mint mark next to Lincoln’s head. Now that was strange. I looked it up on the internet. This 1910 lucky penny was somewhat rare and worth a few bucks. Yes, this really is a lucky sign.

Showered, fed and dressed, I sped out the door to work. With my lucky penny in my pocket, I felt on top of the world. Why, I wondered. It’s just a penny. As I ran to catch the bus, I tripped on a crack in the sidewalk. Step on a crack, break your mother’s back. I nearly broke my own back. It was a good thing that I carried my lucky penny. A slight wrench in my back was far better than face planting on the concrete! Between musing over my find and tripping on nothing, I missed my bus. The next one would arrive in fifteen minutes, making me only five minutes late for work. That isn’t much of a problem; I’ll call my boss and let her know.

The bus ride was somewhat uneventful. An old woman got on the bus a few stops after mine. Dressed all in black, she looked like an old Greek yia ya or grandmother. She settled into a seat and began to quietly sing a song to herself. She really was Greek. My yia ya used to sing the same song to me when I was a child. It was about a little yellow bird who always flew to the window and sang sweetly. Lost in memories, I failed to notice the raven who nearly flew into the bus window by my head. I jumped and screamed, frightening the other riders and making yia ya laugh to herself. Just two blocks from work, we passed a Greek priest standing outside the Church. The old woman crossed herself and said skórdo before getting off the bus. The older generation believed it was bad luck to see a priest walking on the street. They had a fix for it, though. Cross yourself and say the word ‘garlic’ in Greek. Wow, now I want Greek food. I’ll just order some from Vassos for lunch.

When I got to work, I immediately went to the break room for some java. While pouring my morning life saver, I contemplated my penny. Musing over my find, I failed to notice the coffee overflowing my cup. Hot coffee poured onto my hands and splashed the front of my shirt. Thank goodness I saw it when I did. It could have been a real mess. And nobody likes it when we’re out of coffee. Whew, that was lucky. I decided to share my good fortune with my co-workers. I told them how I came across the penny, its value and how much luck it’s brought me already. Negative Nancy pointed out how much bad luck seemed to come my way since finding it. Poor Nancy’s glass is always half empty. Maybe she needed my penny more than I did. After talking with my colleagues, I decided to keep this little charmer. So far it really has brought me great luck. Who knows what is in store for me tomorrow.

On my way home from work I noticed a new restaurant opening soon in my neighborhood. I walked over to check it out. Still under construction, there was debris scattered around the front of the building. A ladder propped against the wall fell over and crashed into the mirror faced front window. Ha! Add a black cat and someone’s day just got a little bit worse. Fortunately the window was being replaced by clear plate glass. Good thing I happened by with my lucky penny or that ladder might have fallen into the new window. Yup, Nancy, it’s all in how you look at it. This penny, and I by extension, is good luck.

Later that evening, after Barker’s walk in the park, I settled in with leftover Greek food and a nice boring movie. Ah, the good life. My cup runneth over... with pennies!