This time of year, we tend to think of kindness and gratitude. It is an apropos time to remember those who are trailblazers for kindness and those kindhearted torch bearers around us that may go unnoticed. Like a neighbor who stopped by to check-in on you when you were not feeling well. Or, the driver who let you in in traffic and smiled as they did. The person who found something that you lost and returned it to you. The friend who sent you a birthday card that made you cry (in a good way). Another friend who sent you a card for no reason that made you cry – again!
There are those little acts of kindness that can add up like pennies in a jar and fill your heart with joy. In the spirit of the concept of “Take a penny/Leave a penny,” remember to leave a penny for some day you may need one. And, in case you were wondering about related penny anecdotes, there are some that may peak your interest.
In the UK, to “spend a penny” means to go to the loo. The expression comes from the fact that the public loo installed in the UK outside of the Royal Exchange in the 1850’s had coin operated locks. The “spend a penny” saying became popular in the 1940’s. But today, it is seen as a coy euphemism since the loo now costs a few pence in some locations in the UK. And back in the US, New York City has experimented with an $8/day guaranteed clean restroom. Now that is more than a few pennies…who would have thought!
And, then there was the Penny Loafer. We know you had a pair! The first penny loafers were made by G.H. Bass in Maine in 1936 and were originally called “Weejuns” taken from the word “Norwegian. The new loafer design allowed just enough room for a penny in each shoe for that emergency phone call since a pay phone cost two cents at the time. The penny loafer and its “Ivy Look” was a hit in its heyday in the late 1950’s and early ‘60’s. But, at this time a phone call was costing 10 cents so many substituted the penny for a dime while many of the preppy set kept the penny. In the 1980’s, penny loafers became the must-have shoe for preppies who usually wore them sockless.
It seems that that little penny has had a lot of influence in our lives. Knowing that, the next time you see that little Take a penny/Leave a penny at a convenience store or gas station, or a Penny Loafer, we hope it makes you smile.
But, not in Canada, because pennies went out of circulation there in 2013. And to note, in April of 2023 according to the US mint, they will make their last batch of pennies.
Especially this time of year, leave a penny and share the gift of a smile with others. Reminder – it takes 43 muscles to frown and only 17 muscles to smile so why not go for it!
And as always, a penny for your thoughts……
We dedicate this blog to Dorothy Pitman Hughes, 1938-2022
Rooted in feminism and community activism, she organized the first shelter for battered women in New Your City. She worked to improve childhood services in the city and established a community center with day care, job, and advocacy training. Her friendship with Gloria Steinem demonstrated a racial balance at the core of the feminist movement.
1971 “raised fists”
