74. 28 CENTS

All you need to send a postcard anywhere in the country

* Sending a postcard to anywhere in the world isn't that expensive either. When I was in Australia for World Youth Day, it cost less than a few U.S. dollars to send a postcard from there.
* It might be argued that the way that a postcard allows us to send correspondence to such far places is lessened by the correspondence capabilities provided by the Internet. I assert, however, that a postcard's appeal is fundamentally different than that of something like an email, for several reasons: (1) The sight of another's handwriting, (2) The chance to physically hold a piece of correspondence, which was also held by the sender, (3) The special thought and effort required now that postcards have become so rare, (4) The unique combination of picture and story.
* Sometimes, I buy extra postcards from a famous place like New York City, then months later send postcard narratives that have nothing to do with that place, but merely save money on postage. Do you think that this is wrong?
* When I write postcard, I try to include as much detail as possible. In turn, I use as much available space has possible. My mother responds with comments like "Do you think that the mailman is really going to be able to find the address on that?" and "Are you going to include a magnifying glass with that?"
* In the spring of 2003, a similar Simple Miracle appeared at CWRU. Back then, "23 cents" was all that you need to send a postcard anywhere in the country.

73. SIDEWALKS

A spot from which we can catch a slice of life

* Thanks to my mom for suggesting this simple miracle. She pointed me to a blog which asked whether the view was better from a skyscraper or a sidewalk.
* Recent blizzards in Washington DC have left many sidewalks covered with snow. Instead of walking on a sidewalk, pedestrians have had to use the road, causing significant traffic slow-downs. Even as drivers, how we take sidewalks for granted!
* In college, I took a class on Urban Economics and did a project on sidewalks. How many communities in greater Cleveland had sidewalks? How closely did they monitor their condition? During this project, I spoke with urban planners who touted sidewalks for "promoting exercise" and "connecting communities."
* Indeed, it was very exciting to realize that there were sidewalks on some of the bridges near my house in western Pennsylvania. I could go for a run across the river, through multiple towns, connected by sidewalks!

72. PLOW TRUCKS

Pushing the snow to where we would like it to go

* The Washington DC area, as you may have heard, had received extensive snowfall in the past week. Sunday afternoon, I wanted to go visit a friend two miles north and to a Super Bowl party a mile south. But our street was still covered with several inches of ice and snow, making it nearly impossible for me to drive anywhere in my Chevrolet Prizm. Could I really walk that far in a few hours? Then, though, to our complete surprise and delight, what came down our street but a plow - a plow, a plow, a wonderful plow!
* Even more amazing than a plow for a truck are the drivers of the truck. These folks have been working long hours to try to make our streets clear. Would I ever want to be a plow truck driver?

71. A HIGH-FIVE

A whole-hand hooray that we proudly display

* "High-five" to you for checking my blog!
* Have you ever tried a high-three or a high-four instead? Isn't a high-five so much more natural?
* Saturday night, when our team won the board game, Sequence, we all did high-fives. I also remember high-fiving when the high school basketball starting lineups were announced or when I did well on a test in college. What makes you high-five?
* Why has a high-five become so much more popular than a low-five?
* I am excited that the Olympics will begin next weekend. Which nation will have the first high-five? Are high-fives more popular in some places than in others?