When I was a kid and honestly didn’t know any better, I used to roam hotel hallways during family vacations and flip those Do Not Disturb door hangers around to say Early Maid Service Please. At the time, I genuinely had no idea why anyone would want privacy or quiet in a hotel room. In my kid brain, it just felt funny, like harmless mischief with no real consequences.

So I did it to every door I could find. Every hallway. Every floor. Multiple family trips, year after year. I never stopped to think about people sleeping in, parents exhausted from travel, couples trying to rest, or anyone just needing peace. I didn’t understand boundaries or personal space yet. I was just a bored kid filling time and laughing to myself.

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Now that I’m older, I cringe a little when I think about it. The awkward interruptions. The confused guests. The poor hotel staff knocking on doors way earlier than planned. It’s one of those childhood memories that resurfaces when you least expect it and makes you reflect on how unaware we can be before life teaches us empathy.

So if you were staying in a hotel in the late 70s and got an unexpected knock because your sign mysteriously changed overnight, I’m genuinely sorry. This is one of those quiet confessions that lives rent free in my head, a reminder of growing up, learning boundaries, and realizing that even small actions can ripple into someone else’s day.

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