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?
