Ever since I graduated college, I kept a change bottle by my front door. I'm sure most of you have something similar you use at the end of the day when you empty your pockets or bag. Mine just stayed there until I took a handful of quarters to feed the meter, give it to kids – a coin or three at a time – at Halloween or just watched it grow until I couldn't take it any longer and resentfully hauled it to an unlucky merchant for an all-coin transaction.

My times, they-are-a-changin' (pun intended). These days, I still might deposit my loose change on the stand by my door but then I scoop it back up in the morning. Even the annoying pennies. For others, it may be nothing they noticed. But for me, it's a big deal. A sea change. I've gone from ignoring the small change to realizing I need it. (Does that make me small change?)

It once might have. But these days, every coin counts. As I get closer to retirement – and develop a deeper understanding of the practical rituals of retirement, both through my work and in my life as I age – I develop a deeper respect for those among us better prepared financially to actually retire.