Wednesday, 3/18

The fact blew what little was left of my sanity.

Because of all the snow (in fact, the snowiest one week period since the National Weather Service moved to Negaunee, which was 1961 or '62), I've spent four of the past five work days working alone. And much like the year & and a half I worked alone during Covid, during the past week I've started to notice little things I do without even thinking the one I happen to have noticed?

I wash my hands a lot. Specifically, during an eight hour day, probably 12 or so times. But that includes washing out tea mugs and after digging out dusty computer cables, so it's probably not that much is it?

Actually, that's not a bad thing. I know washing your hands is a good thing. After all, the best thing you can do to stop the spread of ANY kind of germs (and get rid of dirt from dusty computer cables) is to wash your hands. It's so simple, and it's so effective. I do it myself quite often, and how often do I get sick?

At least (ahem) physically sick?

So I did a little digging to find out how often “normal” people wash their hands; specifically, how many times per day the average American does it. It's 8.6 times in a 24-hour day, not just an eight hour workday, if you're curious, which means that in at least one way I'm quite above average. But the fact that accompanied that was the one that blew my mind--

73 million Americans—22 percent of us—don't wash their hands at all. Whatever was on their hands after working, pooping, and touching anything and everything is still on there.

I'll pause here for a moment if you feel the need to dry heave for a second.

22 percent of Americans go from wiping their butts to unwrapping a Twinkie without washing their hands. 22 percent of Americans go from sneezing in their hands to shaking your hand without washing said hand.. 22 percent of Americans go from digging through the garbage to changing a child's diaper without washing their hands.

Now, I'm not a germophobe, nor do I play one on TV, but is it any wonder some people get sick at the drop of a hat with the flu, the common cold, and any kind of crud that you can pick up from another person? A little simple personal hygiene could make everyone safer & healthier.

But maybe I'm just odd that way. And maybe, just maybe, I shouldn't work alone so often. I shudder to think what strange personal habit I may notice next.

8-)

(jim@wmqt.com)