A penny for your thoughts. It seems like that's all you can get with a penny these days. But does that necessarily mean that the coin is worthless? For several years now, there has been talk of discontinuing the penny for good. Critics of the single cent coin cite several reasons in support for the discontinuation. I, on the other hand, would like to advocate for the penny and can counter with some alternate arguments.
Some claim that the penny has gone out of style, that no one ever uses the coin, usually they get tossed to the side, thrown away, ditched in the parking lot, etc. I'll be the first to admit it, I definitely used to do the same thing...used to. Then I discovered the true value of the penny.
A penny is truly an American's vest friend. On a very general basis, pennies add up. I have a change bucket that accumulates all of my spare change whenever I break a dollar and it was the smartest decision of my life. Folks, it only takes four quarters to make a dollar and 100 pennies to make a buck. Ok, yes 100 pennies sounds like a lot. But it really isn't, especially when it gradually accumulates over a period of time. There is no greater feeling in the world when you decide to cash in your change at the bank for some cold hard cash. And those pennies really do add up fast.
A penny can bail you out of a lot of desperate situations. Think back to a time where maybe you didn't quite have enough cash for an item you were purchasing and were saved by the "Take a penny, leave a penny" tray at the counter. Or take a second to recall when you didn't quite have enough for that Double Big Mac with cheese and had to go cushion diving in your car for a few pennies to pay your outstanding balance. Or maybe you got caught at a surprise toll stop and once again were saved from being stuck by a few copper coins. Consider all those times when you were young, found a penny on the sidewalk, and sang that little rhyme to yourself ("See a penny, pick it up, and all day long you'll have good luck") while sticking it in your shoe. Some of us also might have a lucky penny that has been carried around through good times and bad and clutched firmly in times of dire need.
If those reasons don't convince you, put yourself in the shoes of someone down on their luck financially. For a person in that situation, every penny literally counts and can be the difference between a hot meal and dry feet or an empty belly and leaky boots. A few coins in a cup can make someone's life a little better for at least a small period of time and that, my friends, is power.
In addition, the penny is an important piece of America's historical heritage. It is a tribute to President and civil rights leader Abraham Lincoln. It is a celebration of the rich minerals, like copper, that the United States is graced with. It is a symbol of the American dream, a symbol of capitalism, and a symbol of saving to build oneself up from nothing. It is a memory of the old days when a penny could get you very far and a reminder that the coin is more important than ever now that the economy is still in remission.
So the next time you pass by that lonely penny on the sidewalk, give ole Abe a smile and recall the penny's true value, both as a monetary coin, a symbol of the American dream, and a historical reminder.
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