About
It all started with Carl.
It was my birthday in January, 2001, and Carl and I worked together at a tech-support call center for an online service provider. Since I’ve always had some sort of toys at work, Carl had gifted me a rubber chicken pop and a rubber duck. I of course displayed them proudly with the other toys that inhabited my desk.
Seasons came and went, and the dotcom bubble burst. Middle management was no longer in vogue, and I was out of a job in the Fall of 2001. I picked up a new job with a contracting firm which converted technical documents to electronic copies for the corporation’s intranet. This is where I met Shannon, who gave me for my birthday…a rubber duck.
Now, I hadn’t asked for them, but then there were two. I would always display them at the office (and continue to at this point). They always seem to lighten the mood. The conversion job was shed for another call center job in early 2002. I was moving up, Christmas came, Secret Santas were picked, and I received…well, you can guess.
2003 came on in a rush and again I found myself in middle management. The call center dealt with health insurance and my representatives started calling me “Doc”. One late summer day another duck ended up on my desk, and in mere weeks later, I was once again out of work. If anyone is keeping score, that’s Ducks 4; Job Losses 2.
The long cold winter approached and finally after months of unemployment, January 2004 held a new job for me and a new home for my little friends. I think I learned three things at this point: stop trying for middle management, stop working at call centers, and love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might. (Deuteronomy 6:5 KJV)
It’s now 2006, and I’m still at the same job at the same company. The ducks keep on coming and people continue to bless me by searching out new ducks that no one has seen before. I only thought it appropriate to share the fun.
Thanks for visiting,
Jason Pieper,Curator, RubberDuckMuseum
Update:2008 has brought me and the museum to a new career! So the ducks and I moved down the street, but the site remains the same. God bless, and enjoy. Jason
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