Dear Lucy,
I do believe I have a legacy, but I’m afraid no-one will know it was me who left it. It’s not necessarily that I want to be remembered, I just don’t want to be forgotten, and this could my ticket.
So here’s what it is. I made up a second part to ‘See a penny, pick it up, all day long you’ll have good luck’. It was a few years ago now, not a happy time in my life. I was walking to work, trying to set my intention for a good day. I saw a penny and decided to leave it for someone else, even though I could have done with some luck. I’d read something about giving to strangers and was keen to put it into action. I must admit it made me feel good to intentionally leave it there for someone else.
Naturally, ‘see a penny, pick it up’ came to my mind and I decided there should be a second part, a part about leaving it there, for someone else. So I spent my journey to work making up part 2.
I had several diverting ways to engage my frazzled brain on my journey to work at that time.
Sometimes I would pretend I was in a musical number to accompany a song I might be listening to. I’d imagine all the people around me breaking out into a colourful dance routine, with me at the centre of course. Other times, I’d race the other pedestrians. They didn’t know they were in a race which seemed a bit unfair, but really, it was just me, not being over-taken by anyone. If I made it to Lambeth Bridge, I ‘won’, but if anyone overtook me, it was all over. I only ever won once and it was a genuine thrill. Did I mention this was a dark time for me?
Anyway, on this day, it was making up a rhyme, and here’s what I came up with. ‘Leave it there for someone later, your reward will be much greater’. My sister thought it so professional sounding that she doubted I’d made it up, but I really did. It took me, funnily enough, until I’d reached Lambeth Bridge to come up with it. Another victory.
I suppose it’s possible I could become famous for the saying. I can see myself now, a full blown z-list celebrity, appearing on panel shows and mid-morning cookery programmes. There would be the inevitable backlash of criticism for my lack of talent and my limited contribution to the literary world. This of course is true, for I have come up with no other rhymes, even though I’ve tried, a number of times.
Like all legacies though, it would eventually become obsolete. One day people won’t even know what pennies are because money, and possibly even the concept of money will be long forgotten. The last penny sitting safely in a virtual museum, hoping some virtual visitors will stop by. Hoping that, it too, will not be forgotten.
One thing I can tell you is that I’ve not come into a great fortune having left pennies all over the place for ‘someone later’, so I say just stick to part one and nab that penny when you see it.
I hope you enjoyed the latest Dear Lucy blog. Feel free to contact me at cpsdayoff@gmail.com.
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