It was July 29th in NYC.  It was a hot, muggy, overcast day.  I had to walk about 30 blocks for my next interview.  I was about half way there, the clouds released a downpour.  I had no umbrella.  I ducked into the nearest store.  The brass bell above the entry clinked brightly as I walked in.  It was a "mom and pop" antique store and not a very busy one.  Most of the merchandise was covered in dust. A little, old man came slowly out of the back room.  He exclaimed, "Oh!  It must be a raining out?  That's how we get our best foot traffic."  I chuckled and looked around.  I knew nothing about antiques, so I had no clue what I was looking at.  The old man motioned me up towards the counter.  I strolled up to see what he wanted.

   Under the showcase glass, there were a handful of old coins.  None of them were in particularly good shape; one in particular could hardly be discerned as a coin.  I asked, "How much is the blackish colored one?"  He looked up at me and seemed happy I'd asked, "No one knows.  I have taken it all over the world and no one can tell me how old it is, where it's from, or who used it.  My grandfather gave it to me when I was a child.  He said it was the secret of life coin."  I was intrigued.  I asked, "How do you know what price to put on the coin?"  The old man laughed, "Excellent question young man.  When I was young I sold it for thousands of dollars.  As I have gotten older, the price keeps coming down.  I sell it for less and less."  I pondered that for a moment and said, "No one has ever bought it though?"  The old man laughed heartily, "Oy vey my son!  I have sold this coin a hundred times.  It always comes back.  You see, nothing is known about the coin so it never auctions well.  People always think that they are smarter than me and will be able to sell it for a fortune.  It always comes back to me."  I asked, "Then why do you keep selling it?"  The old man became stoic and said, "If you carry this coin, you will know the secret of life."  I snickered, "Sure, that' why it always comes back to you."  He said, "Most people don't know they have realized the secret until they bring it back.  Would you like to try?"  I wanted to say no.  For some reason, I said, "How much?"  The old man said, "Five dollars."  I threw the man a fiver and he handed me the coin.  As I was leaving he said, "I'll see you back here my son."

   I went on to my interview and it was a good one.  I was hired within a week.  It was a great job.  I carried the coin with me always.  I was not optimistic about gaining anything from it, but I thought why not try it.  Not long after I started the new job, my son was born.  He was a beautiful, healthy baby.  A few months later, my parents announced they were selling the family house and were going to build their dream house.  They allowed me to design, purchase, and install all of the home theater/computer/electronic systems in the house.  This was a hobby of mine, but I had never done anything on this scale or with this budget.  I loved it.  In this span of time, I also got a job promotion.  Life was good.  The coin seemed to be a good luck charm. 

   That all changed in February.  My mom had a tragic accident in their new house.  She fell down a flight of stairs and was in a coma.  She never woke up.  She died at the age of 54.  I tried to stay strong throughout this tragic event.  However, I was coming apart on the inside.  When I got home and back to normal life, I began drinking after work.  This was a demon I had at bay for a period of time.  Once the plug was removed, this demon threw me on its back and we went on a furious ride.  The ride cost me my job and I separated from my wife.  After another month on the ride, I woke up in jail.  They let me stay for a few days.  I knew what I had to do when I got out.  I did and got some order back in my life.  One morning, I took the coin out of my pocket.  I rubbed it and stared at it.  I thought, "It's time for you to go back.  I'm not smart enough to use you correctly."  

I walked back to the antique store.  The brass bell announced my presence.  The old man ambled out of the back.  He said, "Hello my son.  You have been gone awhile.  Did the coin meet your expectations?"  I shook my head and told the old man my story.  I said, "The coin brought me luck then took it all away.  I don't know what I am supposed to have gained from this."  The old man studied my face and said, "The coin has given you more than you know.  I think you realize that.  No one brings the coin back until they have learned the secret."  I angrily said, "The only thing I have learned is that no matter what happens in my life, good or bad, I can only control my part and my reactions to it.  When I try and control other people or force my own expectations to materialize, I cease living life."  The old man held out his hand and said, "You are ready to return the coin my son."