Picking up a lucky penny and other non-digital pastimes to treasure

Photo by Laura Fuhrman on Unsplash

As digital advancements continue to transform society at seemingly lightning speeds, I often wonder what we are losing when we have less to see, touch, feel, and stumble upon.

There is something to be said about picking up a lucky penny. An ordinary day walking down the familiar streets of your neighborhood could transform into a day of good happenings when you pick up a penny on its head-facing side. It’s a shame if we reach a time when we can’t pick up a penny for good luck.

Other coin-based activities have already been lost to history, like sticking your finger in a beaten-up payphone or arcade machine to see if a quarter was left behind.

I remember when you used to have to go up to the store counter to ask for coins for the arcades and pinball machines. Now you get a meaningless token that feels a little less special and certainly less valuable.

I hope technological progress doesn’t get in the way of using stamps for sending mail. I still like walking up to the Post Office teller window and asking to see what the latest selections of Forever Stamps are available. I have a sheet of Sesame Street character stamps I’ve only halfway used. During Black History Month, I purchased a sheet that celebrated historic, and at least to me, little known Black…