Four cents and lots of shofars

Today, I found four cents throughout the day.  All four pennies have seen better days.  

It was also the second day of Rosh Hashana.  I was asked many times today if I was Jewish.  Apparently, other Jewish people play the shofar for you if you are Jewish and it is some sort of blessing.  I finally, on my sister's suggestion, answered that I wasn't, but would happily receive a blessing.  I received a very nice blessing from a young man and blessed him in return.  

Happy Rosh Hashanah.  May you all find prosperity, health, joy, and peace for the coming year.  You don't have to be Jewish to receive a blessing.

It isn't easy being green - 9 cents

As I walked to work today, I found a nickel on the sidewalk.  Today is Rosh Hashanah.  Just after finding that nickel, a group of Jewish men asked if I was Jewish.  I said no, but remembered to wish them a happy new year.  I then continued my walk to work trying to figure out why they were asking.  I was dressed in my bow tie (vintage red and black striped) and talking on my phone to my brother.  I noticed a penny and picked it up.  

I had a good, but not exciting work day.  As I left the office, I called my mom to keep me company on my walk.  About a block in, I noticed a penny on the sidewalk.  I stopped to take a photo.  Mom mentioned that  my photos only show my feet and you can't really see the penny, so I decided to get closer.  

As I bent closer, I noticed another green penny that was harder to see.  

I was reminded of the Kermit the Frog song about being green - 

Just after I picked up these pennies, four Jewish teenage boys stopped me and asked if I was Jewish (second time today).  I again said no and wished them happy new year.  I guess they were trying to make sure I knew where I could go for prayer.  They held a horn (shofar) in their hands.  A block later, a man was blowing the shofar on the sidewalk.  Kids were running around giggling and a bunch of people were watching from all around.  It is nice to see any people celebrating even if I don't understand all the specifics of why.  I embrace that joy and let it warm me too and bring a smile to my face.  

Just because a penny is green, older, tarnished, or was buried under some dirt for a while doesn't mean it has any less value.  

I'm reminded that in fact sometimes things that are older have much more value.  I think about antiques and their value.  I also think about how much more knowledge older people have than younger people.  Young and pretty might look good, but someone older hopefully has a great deal more life experience and knowledge.  This green penny has seen quite a bit more life than the shiny penny I found later on the street that had been run over by a few cars.  

Think about a shiny penny that has never seen circulation.  Compare that to a penny that is the same age, but has traveled the world.  Which penny would you rather be?  For me, I choose living the life and letting myself age, gaining knowledge along with wrinkles and memories.  Some of those memories will be rough, some of them enlightened, dirty, and sparkling, smelly, and scrumptious.  I'll take them all instead of not having any.  

Don't be afraid to be the green penny.  

Digging in road tar for a damn penny

No you didn't…yes I did.  This morning, I dug into some tar in the road to dig out a penny.  It was all gooey and gross.  There were no cars coming, and I got it.  I also found a penny by the side of the road and my boyfriend found two pennies today.

It was a long day, but a good one for me.

What lesson can I take from today?

Sometimes you see something as a blessing, but you have to dig for it to get it.

or

Sometimes something looks like a blessing, but is covered in crap.

or

Maybe you can't count a penny as a blessing if you had to work to get it.

or

Don't leave a tar covered penny on your dash if you don't want a mess.

No matter what, I do feel like something can be learned from this.

You spot a penny in the center of the road embedded in tar.  You look both ways, and walk out and try to get it with your fingers.  You notice that it is quite stuck.  You are standing in the middle of the road staring at a penny and digging for your keys.  You examine your keys to figure out which one is the least valuable or the least likely to be damaged.

You look both ways again to make sure you have time.  You bend over and dig the penny out of the tar.  You then pick it up and realize that your hands are now covered in tar.  You look at the gooey covered smelly penny and try to figure out where to put it since it will mess up your pants more than your hands.  You decide to hold it until you get to your car.

You dig a napkin out of the glove box and try to get most of the tar off.  You then put the now only slightly tar-covered penny on your dash since you don't want it to leave a tar mess elsewhere.  You drive home and head into your apartment.

Once you arrive and look at your coin jar, you remember that there is a tar penny in your car.  You go out to get it and take it from the dash leaving a smear of tar that you must remember to clean later so it doesn't mess other things up.  The penny is deposited in the special change jar and you know that when you end up emptying this thing, there will be more than one piece of change that has tar on it.

That was the penny story for today.

Sometimes you need to go deeper to catch the fish

I woke up early today to go on a hike with a gay men's hiking group.  The weather didn't look good but  I brought ziplock bag for my camera and phone and decided to go anyway.  There were 19 of us who decided to hike today.  We were hiking along the bay side of the Rockaways to Breezy Point and then back up to Fort Tilden on the Atlantic side.  The flies were biting something fierce when we started hiking.  I just kept moving in the hopes that they couldn't keep up.  It worked for the most part.  One guy gave up and left after a half mile, but I pushed on.

There seemed to be people fishing everywhere along both sides of the point.  Kids, adults, people of all shapes sizes and colors.  Most of them were using fishing poles and bait.  

We stopped after about two miles and walked inland to the private gated community of Breezy Point to stop at a convenience store.  I picked up a sandwich and we then continued back to the beach.  On the road back to the beach, I found a penny.  

As we continued on our hike, I spent a bit of time talking to each of the guys on the hike.  All of them seemed very nice and easy to talk to.  

As we neared the point, the wind picked up (Breezy point is named that for a reason) and we were as south as you can get and still officially be in the New York City area.  

I noticed that there was a man throwing a weighted net into the ocean to try to catch fish.  I didn't see him catch anything.  Frankly, I don't think his net was going out far enough to be successful.  

My lesson from that, and for today, is that you can't always get what you want by sticking with the easiest plan or staying close to home.  Sometimes you have to go deeper, throw further, and work harder.  Risk is not something everyone is comfortable with, but you must embrace at least a little if you are to find greater success. 

That was the half way point of the hike.  

We walked the five or so miles back and now I'm here resting my feet (11 miles walking on the beach).  

Fishing in the Atlantic

Sandpipers looking for food

WWII Army Bunker from Fort Tilden

11 cents - on September 11

I started out my morning walk not remembering that today was September 11.  I had a doctor's appointment in the city at 9:00 a.m.  I got dressed and started on my walk.  Just a block from home, I found this penny.  You don't always have to go far away to find a blessing.  Sometimes they are right at your feet or close to home.  

I smiled really big when I found it (see below).  

Then I got on the subway to go to the doctor.  From Brooklyn to Chelsea (where my doctor's office is located), you have to pass through the Wall Street area.  I read my book as I made that trip.  I got out of the train, rushed to the Doctor, got out of there, picked up some Starbucks iced tea, then headed to 7th to take a different train to work.  I walked over to the subway map while on the platform to confirm that I was getting on the right train.  As I walked back, I noticed a dime on the ground shining.  I was so focused on it that I almost ran into someone.  I picked it up and sat on a bench to read and wait.  Minutes later a train pulled up.  I made it to work with one correct transfer (the local sometimes goes express at Franklin and skips my stop - I've made that mistake before and it cost me an additional 45 minutes).  

I got to work with no issues and have been poking around today.  I've had a number of phone calls from former co-workers which has been pleasant.  I talked to Lisa from CCS, Janine from Rochester General (check out her blog about saving animals from the street), and emailed with Jeff from CCS.  

It wasn't until just now as I took a break from work to look at Facebook that I realized again that today was September 11.  I have 11 cents of found money in my pocket.  I traveled twice through Wall Street on the subway and didn't realize it.  Just hearing the words "September 11" brings up memories of a broken up work party and hysterical tears from some of my favorite coworkers of all time.  One has since passed.  Many have moved on.  We are still HERE though.  WE are STILL ALIVE.  I'm grateful to be alive to have friends to love and be loved by.  I'm grateful for all of the people who have come into my life for short and long periods of time.  I'm grateful to be able to write this blog and pick up pennies.  

As I remember those who were lost that day, I am reminded even more of the blessings I have each day.  I hope that the people who were more directly affected by the losses on September 11 find peace in the good memories of those that were lost, and not sadness and despair.  In the face of evil, of terror, of hunger, of war, we can send our love, positive energy, and blessings into the world.  We don't have to focus on the bad.  We can make a small, or even a large, difference with what goodness we can share.  

A special quarter - the power of intention

I finally saw a physician that I think is going to get me on the road to recovery for my ears.

Today was a very positive day for me.  I woke up and was able to see my boyfriend before work.  I found a free parking spot at work (a rarity), and I found a quarter outside my car on the ground.  That was just the beginning.

My nieces are collecting each of the state quarters (http://www.usmint.gov/mint_programs/50sq_program/), territory quarters (http://www.usmint.gov/mint_programs/DCAndTerritories/), and the national park quarters (http://www.parkquarters.com).  Since I found this out, I've been looking at my change.  One of the positive things about Brooklyn is that people from all over the world come here, so money from all over the world (and country) circulates here more than it might through New Hampshire, where my sister and her kids live.

This brings me to the power of intention.  I learned about it from Wayne Dyer.  He was a brilliant man who just passed away recently.  His book, "The Power of Intention," was given to me by my friend Brian Quinn (as an audio book at a time when I felt like a lot was going wrong in my life.  I felt like I hated my social life, hated my job, my finances were a mess, and I didn't really find a lot of joy in life.  I decided to take a trip up to Toronto alone for my birthday.  On the way up, I listened to this book.  I decided at that moment, I was only going to speak positive into being.  I was going to speak as if the good things were happening to me now and not say "are going to happen."

Within one year, I found a job I loved, paid off all of my debt except a mortgage, had found a wonderful social life, and things really were turning around.  I am confident that it isn't all because of the book, BUT also know that reframing what I had in my life made me look at things differently.  Positive energy begets positive energy.  More positive people were attracted to me and I learned and was blessed by them.  Also, as I said I was having money in my pocket, money would come to me from the oddest places.

This week, I said to myself, "I am finding great unique hard to find quarters for my nieces every day."  Guess what?  Today, I found one on the ground.  It wasn't even given to me as change for something.

Speak your blessings into being!  Focus on the good you have and be thankful for it and more good will come!

I also found a penny this afternoon in the hallway at work as I walked to the mailroom.  I put the quarter into a pile of those collected for my nieces, and placed a different quarter in my Brooklyn money jar.  I'm thankful for the lessons I'm learning and for the 26 cents today.

You've gotta have heart

This morning, I woke up still a big groggy and off balance from my ear infection.  I decided that the day looked nice according to my iPhone weather app and I would walk.  Walking the 2.5 miles to work is the best way to organize my thoughts.  My chances of finding money are also increased :)  

I was about a half mile into my walk when I saw a lady about my age bend over three times and pick up three pennies.  When she was done, she pointed her index finger up and pumped the air.  I could only guess she, too, was thanking God……my first thought was, "Damn, there go my pennies for the day."  My mom's first thought (I was talking to her on the phone as this happened), "She must be reading Eric's blog."  

As I walked a little further on, I had another thought enter my mind.  I'm trying to be a better person each day.  Don't let me get preachy on y'all, but if I write these down, I'm better at remembering them.  

I need to celebrate the blessings other people receive too!

I stopped and thought about it…yes you, Eric, do.  I am already pretty good at celebrating the good things that happen to my family and close friends, but what about those things that happen to strangers. I'm glad that the woman in front of me got blessed with three pennies, picked them up, and then pumped the air as if thanking a higher power.  Celebration…really.  

I continued to walk to work.  On my way, I found a dime on Eastern Parkway that someone probably dropped during the Labor Day parade.  I also found a penny on the sidewalk closer to work. 

It was raining something fierce when I left work, and my umbrella was at home.  I decided to just embrace it.  As I walked up to the bus stop, there was a shiny penny in a puddle just waiting to be picked up.  I rode the bus to the closest stop to my apartment and the rain had stopped when I got off.  

It's been super hot here, so the rain was a welcome cooling relief.  

Speaking of hot and celebrating the joys of others, here is a video of the kids in my building.  The top floor neighbor was dumping pots of water on them from above as they giggled and enjoyed it.  These kids don't have much, but always seem to be laughing and enjoying life.  

If you can't get that to work, it is also on youtube at https://youtu.be/Gf5Mj71SzVI

As I walked to my apartment from the bus stop, I found a penny on the ground along with this purple plastic heart jewel.  I picked both up.  

When I got in my apartment I grabbed some string that I had used to make a crafty wrapping paper and decoration for my nieces birthday gift last January, and tied it onto the heart.  

It was just the thing to give to one of the kids playing out front who is always polite to me.  They make me laugh.  Here is a photo of the finished product.  

The heart we have goes through tough times, pain, sorrow, loss, and anguish, but there is joy too.  If we can spend more time celebrating our joy, and the joy of others, I think the hard stuff will be easier to take.  Thanks for the blessings for me and for others today.