WHO ME? I recently got notification that I received a Safety Conference award. As the award winner I got to proof the verbiage related to the award (for the conference brochure) which I was also asked to write. I found the only misspelled word was (no biggie, right?) in the title "Distiguished Service Award". No n which means I cannot be disti-guished or exti-guished on a whim. However, I could be squished - no n. Forty years and I think that rounds up all the possible positions or honors that I can possibly be nominated for, though my main reason for being involved in the conference is still picking the assorted illustrated brain power available when 2,200 EHS pros get together...
STORY TIME Which reminds me of the first industrial hygiene class I ever took. No IH is not about washing your hands after potty duty. It is the science of all the nasty, germy, chemically, gassy things one must not touch, breathe or eat indiscriminately (hmm, that does sound like potty duty). The teacher was the EHS skate at the now defunct Lansing Motor Wheel company and we remained colleagues (it's all about the networking) for many years. Probably as I was the oldest and only working safety person in the class.
When he was downsized, he decided to start his own company and was polling all his contacts, including me, to join his fledging enterprise. I decided to wait a bit as new endeavors tend to take time to turn a profit. He did offer top wages and company cars, though he also had to borrow sampling cassettes from me. Another warning sign. He was sure the world was ready for individualized industrial hygiene consultation at the time. Apparently not.
I then used my contacts to find him another gig which was EHS at a large local company. They were pleased with my recommendation and his credentials so he was hired. Things were going well until he started taking his somewhat "conservative" opinions from casual conversations to proselytizing sermons in the lunchroom. Sigh. Good guy but he was a "home schooler" and a little preachy to me about being a working Mom. The company called to let me know they had to let him go and wanted to be sure I was not offended-I understood. My feeling is, he probably packed up the family and headed to South America to convert the heathens.
OTHER NEWS Although we had some guarded good news on the relative we were concerned about last week, I also got word that my cousin passed away last Friday. She was part of the original six first cousins of my youth. We were all within four years of each other and were constantly together. We are now down to two. Nothing rings your bell about aging and the passing of time like hearing of the latest loss. They seem to come more frequently now.
This was also the week of dealing with large, mostly faceless, companies. Everybody loves the internet until you need to talk to someone face to face. Finding phone numbers and cracking the "roboto chats" is an adventure onto itself. This year, medical insurance seems to be having some burps and hiccups about paying bills. Upon finally reaching someone (solving the automated insistence run-around) the agent I talked with said I don't have to deal with the offending bill as they will, literally, "put on the boxing gloves" for you. Interesting to note BCBS takes such an adversarial position.
Verizon was next with alarming letters saying they would not support my home box anymore. Quick trip to the store and no customers in sight. Wow! In and out. Got a new box and assurances no increase in the bill, until....got an advance look at my bill and there was... an increase in the bill. Back to the store, still pretty empty, to find "no, we're totally booked all day and your person is not here, leave a number" Wha? Was this a movie or practical joke where they move the store and act like we were never there? Followed up with another fight with Missy Automated system and got to a real person who assures me there would be no increase to the bill. Who knows?
Finally Xfinity with a $50 increase. Now that company is a major challenge to get to real real. Again, found the combination and got a person. She said I was most polite person she talked to all day--right. Mama said you get more flies with honey etc, etc.... New bill, new modem but who knows? Wanted to finish this before I hook up the new modem, because who knows? "Just plug it in" she says. Well then why do I have to set it up from an app on my phone? Though far from reality💛💜...Peace to Ukraine
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