A Penny for Your Thoughts...

As part of my general office cleaning today I cleaned all the pennies out of my change jar. When you see pennies, what do you think? It seems sad to me, but many kids today think "worthless", "trash", or "why bother?" I often find pennies lying on the ground. I know it is only worth one cent, but I usually stoop and pick up the penny. After all, the voice in my head reminds me,
See a penny,
Pick it up,
All the day,
Have good luck!

See a penny,
Let it lay,
All the day,
You will pay.
So, what do I think of besides that rhyme when I see a penny? I think of penny candy stores with glass cases filled with Mary Janes and Root Beer Barrels for just a penny. I think of the Franklin Mint here in Philadelphia and tossing them on Ben Franklin's grave outside. I think of wishing wells and fountains. I think of Abraham Lincoln and the Lincoln Memorial. I even think of math manipulatives. That is where these particular pennies are heading. To my classroom to help students figure out fraction of problems.
So, what do YOU think of when you see a penny?