14. An odd project.

“As an adult: client asked me to create a powerpoint for him for a major presentation he was doing for top secret organization. I owned a web consulting company at the time, but he had been a top client, so I acquiesced.

After a while, the modifications & wording become more and more bizarre. He would contact me weekly with new changes and additions, and I soon realized there was something mentally amiss with the gent. I had a connection with his family, and wanted to alert them that he was paying me good money for this odd project, and I didn’t want to charge for something that was clearly coming from a delusional state.

His wife contacted me and asked if I would please continue working with him, and she would pay my full rate for the service (they were incredibly wealthy, and this was not going to make any dent in their massive fortune). She said the project was making him happier than he’d been in months, and he was focused and staying in one place to work on it, and it gave her a rest from his dementia/Alzheimers.

I figured out a way to keep working with him, still didn’t charge my full rate, but learned a lot about maintaining a positive relationship with an older person who is losing their cognitive functions… which prepared me well for now as my father is heading in that direction.”

Now we’d like to hear from you.

In the comments, please tell us if you’ve ever done anything weird or crazy for some extra cash.

We look forward to hearing your stories!