For luck

I find a penny just about every day. And yes, I stoop to pick it up. Does that make me a lucky person? I don't know about that, but when I shared that little bit of info this morning at Three Squares (where I hang out on Friday mornings with my coffee and my book,) Sophia declared that I must be a talisman, and said she was gonna come over and rub my head so I could pass a little of that luck on. (She didn't.)

Many years ago, before I was married, I worked at a coffee shop in the Dundas Street end of the Toronto Eaton Centre. Upstairs, at the entrance to the Eaton's store was a bronze statue of the chain's founder, Timothy Eaton. My (now) husband's uncle Carl shared with me his habit of rubbing Tim's left shoe for luck. It seems Carl wasn't the only one doing it, the left foot was always bright, shiny gold, while the rest of the statue developed the warm brown patina of an old penny.

I understand that with the demise of the chain, the statue was moved to the Royal Ontario Museum, but that the traditional toe rubbing continues. That makes me smile.