Variation on a Nursery Rhyme

I want to give credit where credit is due.  The idea you will read about is not wholly mine, but was subtly suggested by my house guests from earlier this year.  whether intentional or not, they put this thought in my head, and I believe it is a good one.

After our guests had left for home, I discovered that there were pennies on the floor in both bedrooms.  Was that merely an accident?  Did the penny drop out of a pocket when pants were being hung up for the night?  Or was it a purposeful gesture?

I guess we all know the old nursery rhyme that goes:

See a penny, pick it up

And all day you'll have good luck.

See a penny, let it lay,

Bad luck you'll have all the day.

There are variations on the poem, and some even say that the original rhyme referred to a 'pin' instead of a penny.  Also, some people say the superstition involved goes a step further and includes an admonition that:

If the penny faces north,

Then your luck will have some worth.

But if its face is heading south,

Then your luck will be in drouth.

In other words, if the penny is heads up, your luck will be good, but if it's tails up, you're in for some bad luck instead. (Look up the definition of 'drouth' in case you think that was a misprint)  In reference to the second verse, you've probably heard the old proverb, "It turns up like a bad penny."  That is also a reference to the bad luck associated with a penny found with the head facing up.

I mention the variations only to acquaint you with them, but the first printed rhyme above is the one I subscribe to, if there is any esoteric significance in picking up a penny.  I always do pick them up, and on more than one occasion I've found the proverb to be true. I don't look first to see which side is up, either.

The discovery of the pennies in each of the bedrooms gave me an inspiration.  As you all know, my wife and I are road trippers.  We travel at least four times a year, and most of that travel involves overnight stays at hotels.  Our hotel stays number about 30 per year, and we always leave a gratuity for the maids who will clean and straighten our room.

My thought is that, if the room was in satisfactory condition when we checked in, or if it was even more than we expected—yes, that happens from time to time—in addition to the tip we leave on the desk, I will purposely drop a penny on the floor somewhere in the room. I think you get the idea, don't you?  Why not give the maid a share of the 'good luck' that comes from the find?

Now, just in case the maid believes in that other part of the blessing/curse, I will always leave the penny heads up so that there is no doubt which way I want things to go.

I believe I've discovered a new way to enhance my gratuities, don't you?