When cleaning, you should never mix anything with ammonia with anything containing bleach. It's the cardinal rule of cleaning: this can cause hazardous fumes that can overpower you and kill you, actually. Very dangerous stuff.
I know that. Have known that for years.
One day, a good many years ago, I decided to make someone's day. I called the 800-number on the back of my "cleaning product with Bleach" and asked the helpful telephone associate if it would be okay if I mixed it with some ammonia so that it would clean better.
Her voice pitched higher as she calmly explained to me why I should NEVER mix those chemicals. And how I should clean in a well-ventilated area. And NOT mix the chemicals, as it was a matter of life and death. She got my promise that I would not mix the chemicals.
I knew that. But, I hung up the phone after thanking her so profusely.
So why make that call? It wasn't malicious pranking. I called because I wanted someone to be able to go home from work that day feeling like she had made a difference in someone's life. That her job had mattered on the most basic, profound level.
One can languish in the corporate world, writing manuals that NO ONE ever reads -- not even the engineer who signs off on the technical content. One can fight and argue and try so hard to maintain data integrity, and precision, and a level of professionalism for a company that doesn't value any of it as much as they value the bottom line.
I guess that's what I want out of my next, new career: to feel like I make a genuine difference on the most basic, profound level.
And I guess that's why I really wish I could just stay home and focus on mothering.
(No pressure, Husband. Really.)
The Faithful Alligator
3 comments:
Oh, how I know what it's like to slave over manuals no one ever reads, not even their SMEs. And to work painstakingly to maintain data integrity, precision, and professionalism for a company that will lay you off as soon as look at your name on the org chart. Much to our exhaustion--and Pope John Paul II's satisfaction--we subscribe to his philosophy: you must demand of yourself, even if others demand nothing of you. And you can count on that happening regularly, not just in the corporate world, but in the many other parallel worlds out there. Keep fighting the good fight. :)
Wow, I love that you did that just to make a difference to that person on the other end of the 800 number. That's really great. Really.
Laura, this is one of the sweetest things I've ever heard of anyone doing.
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