Small Change
by Rebecca Carlisle

Lucky for me I had three magical five dollar bills.  I  turned them into magic money on Saturday as I received one after another from three radiant humans after paying for lunch for all of us on my credit card.  I tried to refuse the money, but they all insisted.  I loudly proclaimed it to be Magic Money and amongst many giggles and smiles from the rest of my companions, I accepted it.  We had spent a wonderful time together at an all day workshop and I just felt so happy.  I was so glad to be out in the world meeting new people, being brave and silly and alive and awake.  I showed up to work on Monday with renewed energy, lots of spunk, and fifteen dollars worth of Magic Money in my purse. 

Now fifteen dollars cannot buy a lot of  stuff, but this was Magic Money so I had to choose carefully how to spend it.  I hadn't come up with any ideas yet.  All morning at work I was practically bouncing with delight during my usual boring tasks.  I think the workshop had reminded me that I want to show up more joyfully more often.  I just felt good.  I was so bubbly.  

Copyright ©2000 Scott Carlisle Photography
In the afternoon one of my co-workers was going to the post office to buy stamps for the office.  She asked if anybody else needed anything while she was there.  Hmmm… I did need stamps.  I opened my wallet to get some stamp money for her, and there were the magic fives.  Aha!  If I used Magic Money to buy stamps, then the magic would go everywhere the stamps went!  I was so excited!  Now I had an excuse to tell my co-worker the whole story about how this money came to be magical.  I gave her specific instructions to buy two books of happy and colorful stamps and to keep the change because the change would be magic, too.  Since I had helped her day go by faster with my exuberant mood, she humored me.  I even dared her to tell the postal clerk that it was Magic Money, but even I knew that was pushing it.  But regardless, she had to keep the change so she would end up with some Magic Money of her own.

I had sent her out to have a little magical adventure.  I felt so happy to be spreading cheer in the world.  I did make a difference.  I made people happier.  Plus, I was getting errands done while sitting at my desk.  I was getting new stamps for new letters.  Life was good.  Maybe I was changed forever by the workshop.  Maybe everyone around me would change, too.  Maybe my co-worker would come back a changed woman after some of my enthusiasm rubbed off on her. 

Finally the front door swung open.  I could hardly wait to hear the whole fabulous story. She quietly put some yellow and pink rose stamps on my desk and carefully counted out one dollar and eighty cents and gave that to me as well.  I looked up at her and said, "But I told you to keep the change.  It's magic." 

"I don't want it", she replied.  I felt deflated.  She didn't want the change.  Oh.  Change.  She didn't want to change anything.  Not her luck, her mood, nor her life.  No coaxing from me would help.  So I kept my own magic change, thank you.  I was ready for it. 

I don't have to change everybody else in the world, only me.  But I still like to believe that the small things I do bring imperceptible changes to others.  Perhaps that nickel in your pocket is a magical one.  How will you spend it? 

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Copyright © 2000 Be Real Magazine. All rights reserved.
Revised: June 25, 2004