If you’re familiar with the Seinfeld episode of Poppy not washing his hands after exiting the bathroom of his restaurant, to then make a pizza for Jerry and his girlfriend (Poppy’s daughter), you probably know where I’m going with this post. Yep, questionable hand hygiene.
The night we met up with the driver from the dog shelter to get Lottie, we ate at a restaurant while waiting for our four-legged girl to arrive. This restaurant is popular among folks and I’d eaten there once before, so we decided to stop for a bite. Since we’d just come from running a couple of errands beforehand, Little Lady, Little Red and I went to the bathroom to wash our hands. Anyway, Little Lady and I both noticed on the wall the sign that’s in all eating establishments, telling employees that they must wash their hands before returning to the kitchen. What stood out to all three of us, was that the sign had been painted over. Yeah, we could make out the words but this law, enforced by the health department, isn’t of top priority I’m guessing. We still laugh about this. That is, until one day when we’re all racing to the bathroom from food poisoning.
When teaching young children (I hear older children too), you expect them to be as clean as your pet dog. That’s why God made kids and dogs so cute; so we’d forgive their hygiene strike and still allow them into our homes. Ha, ha. However, adults can be just as fond of cooties as those cute little kids. I remember one time when I was teaching, the teacher in the stall next to me, flushed, pulled up her drawers, walked out of her stall and out of the bathroom. Oh holy night. It was burned in my memory. I also know for a fact that this same lady didn’t have any soap in her bathroom, except for the bathtub, to wash your hands after using the loo. Some folks make mental notes. I made a mental tattoo to pay attention to any food items that were brought to school potlucks by “Poppy” and to avoid the dishes that “Poppy” brought. Inspired by how gross my students could be my first year of teaching, I taught this self-created saying to all my classes; spread love, not germs. And boy, did I try my darndest to enforce it! Happy washing!
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