See A Penny...

Day 348

When I went into work that morning I was on a mission.

This was going to be the day, no more procrastinating. I was going to ask, no, I was going to march straight into the boss' office and demand a raise in pay. I had been with the company for seven years and I was the best in my division. I was making money for the company and I deserved monetary compensation. I deserved higher pay.

The lunch break came and I had built up such a head of steam that I was shaking. I took several calming breaths and started walking to the boss' office. It was now or never. I looked down as I rehearsed my demands.

Just past the locker rooms, I spied a penny on the floor.

The old adage, "See a penny, pick it up...all day long, you'll have good luck" popped into my head. A little extra luck never hurt. I reached down and try several times to get the penny off the polished floor. With the lucky talisman clutched tightly in my hand, I quickly straighten up and my back went into an horrendous spasm. Pain shot down my legs and up my spine. Slowly, I tried to straighten up, gasping with pain.

I saw Johnson the shop foreman coming toward me. I couldn't show any weakness around this guy, or I'd be his bitch for as long as we both worked here. I made my way into the locker room and out of sight.

I was sitting on the crapper in the last stall, trying to rest my back. The main office is on the other side of the wall and I can hear yelling. Someone is getting reamed.

I try stretching. Slowly one way, then the other, to loosen my back before the lunch break is over. I wouldn't be making any demands today. With my back tightened up, I would be lucky to keep my job.

Gingerly, I walk back to my work station, still clutching the unlucky penny in my hand. With a curse, I start to throw it in the trash, when a co-worker says, "I can't believe Johnson was canned."

"What happened?" I ask.

"He marched into the front office on the lunch break and demanded a raise. He was fired on the spot."

I can hardly contain my elation. I hated that guy and I wasn't alone. The rest of us had to work twice as hard to make up for his laziness.

"Hey, aren't you next in line to be foreman?"

"Yeah, I guess I am."

"I hear that comes with a sweet raise in pay. Congrats."

My mouth drops open as I look at the penny in my hand. Then, I place it lovingly in my watch pocket. For safe keeping.

I wrote this during a writing exercise at the retreat.

Until tomorrow,

Ken