While cleaning a wealthy family’s home, I found a note that instantly rubbed me the wrong way: “We hid 10 ducks around the house so we’ll know you cleaned properly. Put them in the jar when you find them.”
After hours of hard work, being tested with a scavenger hunt felt insulting. Still, I searched every room and eventually found all 10 tiny plastic ducks hidden in different corners of the house.
By the time I picked up the last one, I had an idea.
Before leaving, I hid every duck again—but this time, I placed each one next to something the family actually needed: car keys, wallets, TV remotes, phone chargers, and other everyday essentials.
When they got home, chaos erupted.
Soon my phone rang with frantic questions about missing items. I calmly replied, “Find all 10 ducks. That’s where your stuff is.”
It took them nearly five hours to recover everything.
Was it childish? Maybe.
Was it my proudest moment? Probably not.
But after feeling distrusted and treated like a test subject instead of a professional, it felt like a harmless reminder that respect goes both ways.
To this day, I still smile whenever I see one of those little plastic ducks.
