Penny For My Thought?

In God We Trust,
cuz the money ain't worth nuthin!

I was reminded of one of my favorite books while out jogging yesterday morning.  In the glow of the
street lamp, I caught a glimpse of a shiny, new penny.  In less than a stride, in much shorter time than it takes to write this, I thought: "Should I stop to pick it up?  No, it's not worth it.  It's just a hunk of zinc pretending to be copper.  A penny can't buy anything anymore."  So, I left it there.

When I was a kid, pocket change was non-existent.  Mom had no money to spare and I was clueless about how to earn my own.  So, I learned to have a sharp eye for any coins that might be in my path when I was out and about, a habit I carry to this day.  A penny could buy a piece of candy, any larger coin was a treasure.  I can remember distinctly walking back to class from lunch break one day in elementary school and spotting a nickel.  A whole nickel!  Thoughts of what I could do with this small fortune began to dance in my head as I bent down to get it.  But my friend that was with me had seen it as well and swooped down and scooped it before I could.  With all the aggrieved unreasonableness of a 10 year old I said, "Hey, give it to me!  I saw it first."  To which my friend replied, "But I GOT it first."  (Possession is 9/10's of the law...) How I knew I had seen it first is a mystery.  But to this day I am sure I did.  This 'eye for money' served me well many years later.  My wife and I were out with the youth pastor and a crowd of teenagers from our church on a 16 mile walk-a-thon to raise funds for some worthy cause.  I had made it to the end once already and hitched a ride back to help encourage some of the less ambitious (including Mrs. Robidoux).  As we trudged along the side of the road, my eye caught a glimpse of a faded, crumpled green-and-white piece of paper.  Again, my mind raced through the options of "No, it really can't be money.  Think of all the people who have already been by here.  Paper money can't survive being outside very long.  If I pick up a piece of trash I will look stupid."  Still, I stooped down, picked it up, and unfolded a $100 bill.  After donating a portion to the worthy cause, my wife and I had an excellent dinner out that night.  Which, in my mind, more than made up for the nickel I missed out on back in elementary school.

Oh, the book?  Whatever Happened To Penny Candy by Richard Maybury.  It is required reading for our girls when they hit high school.  The author does a great job of explaining why we have a lot more pennies and dollars floating around our economy than a generation ago and why those dollars won't buy nearly as much.  Two personal examples: I grew up with penny candy vending machines that now require a quarter.  The home that cost my father-in-law under $30,000 some 40 years ago would cost ten times that now.  While a penny saved may still be a penny earned (not exactly what Ben Franklin said), my time is worth a lot more than that penny.

Children, Government, and Business

I received two important notices recently having to do with my children.  The first came via the U.S. postal system.  It was an envelope full of information that boiled down to a threat: prove your children are yours or you won't be able to have them covered by your health insurance.  Apparently this is a new provision of the euphemistically named 'Affordability Care Act'.  I have company insurance and have never had to do more than provide social security numbers and birth-dates.  The new requirement is two forms of proof -- a tax return showing my children as dependents and a copy of their birth certificates.

Contrast this with the cheerful, colorful e-mail from Barnes and Noble announcing that one of my children in the B&N Birthday club was eligible for a free treat in the cafe.  What did I have to provide to get that notice?  Simply a first name and birthdate.  What do I have to do to redeem it?  Simply show up with said birthday club member and coupon in hand.  No other proof required.  Were I inclined, there are any number of ways I could 'game' that system.  But B&N assumes that their customers are generally honest, trustworthy people.  They believe my daughter is my daughter because I say so.

The government is not trying to win my patronage.  They already know they have a monopoly.  Theirs is a raw exercise in power and control.  Underneath it is a presumption that everyone who signs up for health insurance is prone to fraud and the truth needs to be weeded out by this faceless bureaucratic exercise.  The information I collect and send to 'prove' my children are truly mine will do nothing to change the reality of their existence or our relationship.  It is simply a large waste of my time.

Barnes & Noble on the other hand, is doing their best to convince, not coerce, me that a trip to their store will be worth my time, my daughters time and their time -- a mutually beneficial interaction.      And I can't wait to get over there and prove them right.

'Our' Government - Our Vacation

'PUBLIC' LAND

What we did not see on our vacation.
This was from our anniversary trip in 2011.

Unless you have been living on another planet the past couple of weeks, you certainly know about the 'shut down' of the U.S. Government and how the U.S. Park Service has been particularly aggressive in keeping people away.  Several months ago we reserved and prepaid a week of accommodations just outside of Yosemite National Park starting on September 30th.  Of course, we began hearing news about the impact of the pending shutdown as we neared our destination.  We arrived early enough on the 30th that we could have taken a drive into the park.  But, after 10 hours on the road, we just wanted to find our place and get settled before dark.

Having a great time anyway!

The next morning, October 1st, hoping against hope, we made the drive to the gate.  We could see that some people were being let through and on the advice of our host, had a destination picked out that would take us through the park.  However, our 'helpful' park ranger pointed out that there was an alternative route that was actually shorter and consequently they could not let us drive through Yosemite.  [The park remains closed as of October 12.]

We weren't as bold as some of our fellow citizens, partly because there was a line of cars still in front of us and there really wasn't an option other than to turn around.  We found plenty of other nature experiences in the area outside Yosemite during our week there and our family had a splendid time being together.  But, seeing representatives of our government actively work to keep citizens out of public land is a lesson our children will not soon forget.


POSTAL 'SERVICE'
Prominently displayed on the wall in an alcove in the post office in Oakhurst, California is the unofficial postal service slogan:

Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night

stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.

While on vacation, we needed to send a package with guaranteed overnight delivery. There was no Federal Express office in Oakhurst that we could find, but we did locate the U.S. Post Office. The staff was very helpful in getting our package put together and mentioned more than once that the $19.95 fee guaranteed next-day delivery or we would be refunded.  So, we paid our fee and handed over the package.  When we called the destination the next afternoon -- no package.  The tracking information on the USPS.GOV site showed it was in the main postal hub in San Diego, about 30 miles from where it needed to be.  The package finally arrived the second day after it was sent.  That is the next, next day from the original day, not the guaranteed next day -- got it?  So, we made a trip back to the post office where they happily gave us back our $19.95, after we filled out the requisite form.  This is why the postal service continues to lose money.  They delivered a package in two days for free because they could not fulfill their promise to deliver in one day.

We never found out just what it was that delayed the package.  Though hazardous weather is no challenge for the postal service, perhaps absolutely gorgeous Southern California weather is.