SAFETY RANT AHEAD Workplace accidents covered some headlines besides the three homicides in Lansing in the past week. A third teenager died this summer after becoming entangled in a conveyor system while cleaning a poultry plant at night. This occurred in Mississippi, one of the states working hard to roll back child labor laws. Another State wants to allow 14 year olds to bartend. Now there's a recipe for disaster. Sexual harassment and exploitation of minors is not even a consideration apparently. Because people drinking always make intelligent decisions.
On a personal level I can never get a regular bartender to understand vodka gimlet "up". Usually get it in a rocks glass...on ice...arghh. Or telling a grasshopper that they have a drink named after them. "Steve he says in surprise". I know. I had to break the mood. Being shorter would also be a factor when someone asks for "top shelf liquor", but I'm sure they will have safe ladders and other help to reach the lofty location. Order bar stock-the life you save may be underage.
I am still infuriated by a Director I accompanied to an awards ceremony at a factory achieving a stellar safety and health record. His private comments to me were "it's all luck anyway, right?" Diplomacy where did I keep that. Also that I didn't deck the guy for his uneducated callous attitude, not to mention repudiation of my entire career, can only be attributed to my legendary self-control. 😉 People don't really want to die or be maimed, but oh well we can just hire another warm body. Don't get me started on the die press that killed two 20 somethings who ran beneath the press between strokes to reset the controls that kept shorting out. Fortunately people lived long enough at the first factory to retire and the clueless "big shot" continued his political career and further bad decisions.
Which makes me think of fear - the great leveler. Two examples from work. A gentleman, after being electrocuted and fortunately brought back to life could never again do the highly dangerous, complicated and well-paid work. During recovery his nearest and dearest kept telling him he would never be safe again. Second example is a line worker with intense burns from a 17k line not only recovered but worked every day in the same capacity. One lost his nerve from fear, the other chose to rely on his training, protective gear and supervision to keep him safe. But it's only luck right?
I'm of the "get back on the horse" type after mayhem, but as I get older I am either more timid or wiser.
NEVER GETS OLD On a personal level I was reminded this week of a totally Mom/Dad thing we do. Even though our children are grown and independent we still need an occasional "check-in". What we want to say "are you still alive? Are you happy? Do you need me for anything?" Of course we are not quite so literal. Usually it ends up a quick text (today's vernacular) "how are the roads? (did you make it to where you were going)" "Did you see this ad for thingamajigs/concert/festival/store (are you happy?) "I have a such and such, do you need one? (self-explanatory)"
I remember the obligatory weekly calls to Mom which were five minutes of news and 45 of crabbing which were her way of posing the three questions. Do I really care that a 2nd cousin twice removed won the Nobel prize for physics or maybe that was a doofus award for showing up at work two days in a row. Or the price of kumquats is rising, better "get me some". Or your brother/sister/nephew/total stranger did thus and so to who knows who. Miss those calls actually as they told me she was alright, until she wasn't. My way of putting it is "the umbilical cord stretches but it never breaks".
SEAT ASSIGNMENTS During pandemic as we tentatively ventured back to familiar venues like church I found a spot that suited me. On the end, middle of the church, lots of social distancing. Once the masks were off, people started encroaching. I could make my mean face, but I just get there early. Same spot, still some social distancing but I noticed something interesting. People tend to sit in the same seats. As the OH says Lutherans who arrive early move down the row for newcomers. Catholics grab that aisle seat and only move to let latecomers get into the middle of the row. Same rule applies on a plane for me but at least I can designate an assigned seat. Another pet peeve. I would rarely, if ever, attend a concert/show, etc. unless there are assigned seats.
Anyway I noticed the three other people in my church row were somewhat infirm (read canes). As I will be sporting my own mobility device after surgery apparently I am already in the right row!
On our way this afternoon to Soaring Eagle Water Park for a couple of days with the grandboy so publishing early. Of course the weather turned to snot so no mini golf on the way up and no outdoor pool lounging. Peace out.... 💚 💙💛
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