FIVE MILES AND 36 CENTS RICHER

Monday, the day after Easter, was a profitable day.

Let me begin by saying that the lowly penny gets no respect. None whatsoever! They never have. Okay, maybe during the 1930’s depression did they gather some respect, but that was only because people were desperate and they were not necessarily being respectful. And even then I’m betting that numerous pennies remained lost and lonely in the streets, gutters, alley ways, sidewalks, as well as the cracks and crevices of most floors, porches and steps. This is a sad but true commentary of one of our lessor valued American coins – the lowly copper penny – or whatever it is they are made of.

Anyway, the day after Easter, after all the eggs were found and most of the Easter bunnies eaten, and after the county park had been cleared of Saturday’s triathlon paraphernalia, Jan and I ventured across the main thoroughfare into CB Smith Park for a five-mile walk, albeit a slow casual walk at times.

We did manage some speed walking, maybe three miles worth. We also zig zagged in and around the parking areas looking closely for lost coins. Not particularly coins made of copper, but any coin or coins that may have fallen out of someone’s pocket when exiting or entering their vehicle.

We found five pennies when entering the park. More precisely, we found the pennies at the base of the most frequently used toll booth. There are three lanes leading into the park with each lane having its own toll booth.

As silly as it may sound, this is something that we do from time to time to pass the time. And we reasoned that with all the triathlon goings on and Easter celebrations taking place in the park the previous two days, surely there was a fortune to be found Monday morning.

To be honest, our luck ran amuck while zig-zagging through the parking areas, but we did strike it rich around the park’s toll booth – the word rich being used in a relative manner.

Finding only five single pennies during our hurried entry, we promised ourselves that we would exit the park much slower than how we entered.

After completely striking out inside the park, we kept that promise, finding six more pennies near the other two toll booths, along with a weathered quarter that looked like it had been wedged in a road crevice since the stone ages.

Even though it was trodden and battered, the silver quarter made its way into the back pocket of my Race Ready running shorts keeping good company with its copper cousins.

Now walking at a rapid pace, heading home, I excitedly listened to the jingle of the coins.

Happy and fruitful for our efforts, we continued on our way completing our walk inside the security gates of our tropical-themed, South Florida community.

Five pennies entering the park, six pennies and one quarter exiting the park, that adds up to 36 cents that we didn’t have before our Monday walk. I call that a good day - financially and aerobically.

And the best part of the day was listening to our oversized piggy bank thanking us for the delicious Easter meal.