The Dishwasher - Uncharted Territory

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Uncle Al
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The Dishwasher - Uncharted Territory

Post by Uncle Al »

This is FOOD FOR THOUGHT

This is a true story and at a time when many of us are in uncharted territory
maybe we need to just give ourselves a break. I think you will find it worth
the few minutes it takes to read it.

Danielle Wunker, Licensed Clinical Mental Health Counselor Supervisor
November 16, 2020

RUN THE DISHWASHER TWICE.

When I was at one of my lowest (mental) points in life, I couldn’t get out of bed
some days. I had no energy or motivation and was barely getting by.
I had therapy once per week, and on this particular week I didn’t have much to
‘bring’ to the session. He asked how my week was and I really had nothing to say.
“What are you struggling with?” he asked.
I gestured around me and said “I dunno man. Life.”
Not satisfied with my answer, he said “No, what exactly are you worried about
right now? What feels overwhelming? When you go home after this session, what
issue will be staring at you?”
I knew the answer, but it was so ridiculous that I didn’t want to say it.
I wanted to have something more substantial.
Something more profound.
But I didn’t.
So I told him, “Honestly? The dishes. It’s stupid, I know, but the more I look at them
the more I CAN’T do them because I’ll have to scrub them before I put them in the
dishwasher, because the dishwasher sucks, and I just can’t stand and scrub the dishes.”
I felt like an idiot even saying it.
What kind of grown ass woman is undone by a stack of dishes? There are people out
there with *actual* problems, and I’m whining to my therapist about dishes?
Dishes in the Dishwasher 2020-11-21.jpg
But my therapist nodded in understanding and then said:
“RUN THE DISHWASHER TWICE.”
I began to tell him that you’re not supposed to, but he stopped me.
“Why the hell aren’t you supposed to? If you don’t want to scrub the dishes and your
dishwasher sucks, run it twice. Run it three times, who cares?!
Rules do not exist, so stop giving yourself rules.”
It blew my mind in a way that I don’t think I can properly express.
That day, I went home and tossed my smelly dishes haphazardly into the dishwasher
and ran it three times. I felt like I had conquered a dragon.
The next day, I took a shower lying down.
A few days later. I folded my laundry and put them wherever the **** they fit.
There were no longer arbitrary rules I had to follow, and it gave me the freedom
to make accomplishments again.
Now that I’m in a healthier place, I rinse off my dishes and put them in the dishwasher
properly. I shower standing up. I sort my laundry.
But at a time when living was a struggle instead of a blessing, I learned an incredibly
important lesson: THERE ARE NO RULES.
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
This is, IMHO, a fine example of how Skirt Cafe' members feel or have felt.
When it comes to M.I.S., OUR OWN FEAR holds us back.
Rules do not exist, so stop giving yourself rules.
Each of us has 'given ourselves rules'. We're brought up with 'rules'.
When reaching adulthood, some of the 'rules' need to be re-thought(broken).

Just my $.02 worth :D

Uncle Al
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2018-202 ? (and the beat goes on ;) )
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I respond-The why is F.T.H.O.I. (For The H--- Of It)
john62
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Re: The Dishwasher - Uncharted Territory

Post by john62 »

Very true.
john62
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Re: The Dishwasher - Uncharted Territory

Post by john62 »

Very true.
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crfriend
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Re: The Dishwasher - Uncharted Territory

Post by crfriend »

Uncle Al wrote: Sun Nov 22, 2020 1:37 amEach of us has 'given ourselves rules'. We're brought up with 'rules'.
When reaching adulthood, some of the 'rules' need to be re-thought(broken).
We also come with a set of "rules" that are inculcated into us since birth, many of which are specious. It's up to us to figure out which are which.

A quick primer into the world of troubleshooting can be instructive to those who will listen. The primary rule there, as in science, is to "simplify the problem" -- i.e. break it down into digestible chunks. Adding complexity is the enemy; so is adding baggage. Strip the thing to its essentials. Sadly, this is no longer taught -- if it ever really was.

I vividly recall an excruciating teleconference I had yesterday with a pair of co-workers, who were busily making an investigation vastly more complex than it needed to be -- in spite of protestations on my part. I was simply talked over. Hilariously, one of the two shared a screen-shot (the wrong way of doing anything other than imagery) of a code-snippet that might have been a part of the problem and then immediately pursued making the problem more complex. After about five seconds of looking at the computer code I spotted the next target to focus on in the investigation of the problem and had a suggestion as to what to do to improve the troubleshooting process -- and was simply talked over for the next half-hour. Eventually I gave up and simply muted my mic and that was that. They still haven't gotten any closer to the problem.

One can only do so much. And so it goes. Sometimes the short-term solution is to "run the dishwasher twice", but that's not the long-term answer. We need to find the long-term solution, else we'll ultimately spend our entire lives "running the dishwasher". When figuring out problems, and even detecting them, we need to use all our senses and faculties, the brain only being one. Use logic and memory, sure; but when addressing something, ask one's self, "Does it look right?", "Does it sound right?", "Does it smell right?", "Does it feel right?".

I'm not making these up; I saved the last company I worked for I have no idea how many hundreds of thousands of dollars of fire damage and computer downtime because something "sounded wrong" -- and I picked it up before it started to stink. I paged the facilities guys right off saying that there was a problem with a 225 kVA UPS and somebody needs to take a look ASAP. By the time they showed up, it had already started to stink, and knowing where the sound was coming from I opened a 600 A breaker to a battery-rack quite possibly saving further grief. I used to have the trophy -- a 0000 gauge battery-cable which had loosened up and which had started arcing -- and the copper was already melting away from the hot-spot.

Running the dishwasher twice will work for a while, but it's worth investigating why it's necessary.
Retrocomputing -- It's not just a job, it's an adventure!
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Kirbstone
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Re: The Dishwasher - Uncharted Territory

Post by Kirbstone »

Some 16 years ago when our current shack was nearing completion the professionals plumbed and wired the future kitchen area for all sorts of gadgets including a dishwasher. The actual kitchen units were meanwhile sitting out in a shed having been transported over from the UK from our very first Tudor house.
When I set about installing them, MOH insisted that the only make of dishwasher she would have in there was the two-legged variety and ever since then I have been crowned King of All Dishwashers.
Up to Covid we frequently entertained for large parties, small concerts, book club meetings, house bridge evenings, garden parties &c and after each one of these events no domestic dishwasher on the Market could deal with the volume. Enter the King (me) and within 15-20 minutes all is sparkling and the kitchen table is stacked with gleaming kitchenware, delph, crockery and cutlery, all to be put away until the next time. No sweat at all. It does help enormously to have a powerful AGA constantly on the go providing cubic meters of scalding hot water. (from our own well, I might add.) Therapeutic!

Tom
Carpe Diem......Seize the Day !
pelmut
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Re: The Dishwasher - Uncharted Territory

Post by pelmut »

crfriend wrote: Sun Nov 22, 2020 2:19 am
Uncle Al wrote: Sun Nov 22, 2020 1:37 amEach of us has 'given ourselves rules'. We're brought up with 'rules'.
When reaching adulthood, some of the 'rules' need to be re-thought(broken).
We also come with a set of "rules" that are inculcated into us since birth, many of which are specious. It's up to us to figure out which are which.
I learned from watching someone else, who became very successful in her field, that before breaking the rules:
1)  Work out the maximum damage it could cause
2)  Have a plan of damage mitigation or recovery in place

...then decide if it is worth it.
There is no such thing as a normal person, only someone you don't know very well yet.
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