The Dime Left Behind

There it sits, next to my apple juice box on the Starbucks bar. Not hidden. In fact, it’s centered in front of the empty barstool next ot me. And it’s not on the edge of the bar, not likely the last of a larger pile of change, inadvertently not collected with the rest, on the owner’s way out. No. In fact, it’s a good six inches from the front edge of the bar.

So, what does it mean? Is it a feeble attempt at a tip? I certainly hope not; it’s not likely to change an employee’s plan for the scale of their gift giving this Christmas season, which is rapidly approaching. Can you imagine?

If one of the employees does find it, will they have to hide it from the others as they absent-mindedly slip it into their pocket? Or, will they decide it should go into the team tip box near the register? Or, will they consider it so unimportant as to let it go into the trash, along with the toasted bread crumbs and empty drinking straw wrappers, stuck to the same damp bar towel?

I guess that’s my real question. Is that dull, yet shiny on a few edges, lead-silver dull sheen, miniscule little coin, yet with more monetary value than the larger penny, and much larger nickel, really so insignificant that someone couldn’t be bothered to put it into their pocket or purse? Did they yet feel that they were being charitable in leaving it lying there, rather than just throwing it away with their wadded-up napkin and stirring stick?

What does that say about the person? Do they think “Well, I can’t be bothered, but maybe someone else will want it?” That’s perhaps not so bad, on the surface. But isn’t there an associated implication that perhaps they’re better than the others around here, some of whom may even find a dime useful? If indeed they thought that it may be useful to others, then why not drop it into the tip jar?

And what of me? What am I to do about this dime left behind? I can choose to ignore it. That my imply “I don’t even notice small denominations of cash lying around.” Very similar to the former owner. Sort of like Chevy Chase and his unsigned checks for $70,000 lying around his apartment in “Caddy Shack.”

Or, I could pick it up and put it into the tip jar. To anyone who noticed, that could say “I don’t normally leave tips, but since I found it, and it’s small, the employees can have it.”

Perhaps another solution is to pick it up, and slide it into my own pocket. After that, it will end up in a drawer at home, probably staying there until after I’m gone.

Maybe I should pick it up and throw it into the trash on my way out. After all, for all of us, it’s only ten cents, right? That elevates us all above concern for such a small amount of money.

No. I have it. I will pick it up, add a dollar of my own, and drop them into the tip jar. That's the copacetic answer.

So, the dime is no longer left behind.