Close to Home by John McPherson for July 21, 2014

Frank got that sinking feeling again.

Poignant? I think you mean ‘pointed’.

They gave him food for thought.

I used to work with a gal who never cleaned up after herself, so we started leaving her dishes in the sink. I brought in a mug with my name on it, sat it on the counter and went to the ladies room. When I got back, it was gone. She had taken it. “Oh, is this yours? It was clean, so I grabbed it.”

I took it away from her, dumped her coffee, and fixed my own.

We put up signs “Your Mother Doesn’t Work Here!” “Do your dishes!” … Since there were a few parents with adult children working with us – the message got through. Mom tells & shames adult child. Adult child gets ticked off and tells off & shames co-workers. – dishes get done. .we solved the fridge problem. Once a month, a different group is assigned to clean the fridge. We also clean the microwave, kettle, etc. So for a day – everything looks pretty.

While working at an engineering branch of a large hi tech firm I was assigned the job doing a security clean out and confidential document search of the desk of a young engineering intern who’d left suddenly. I didn’t find any documents, but I did find why the office had a huge mouse problem… There must of been 5 or 6 half eaten take out dinners stuffed in the bottom of his desk drawers, a dozen brown bag lunches stashed under his desk and I won’t even describe what was in his file cabinets.Dirty dishes left in the lunch room didn’t seem so bad after that.

I think our office tried all those ideas, including the “Your Mother Doesn’t Work Here” signs. Then about a year ago, all the plates and silverware were replaced by paper plates and cups. Not elegant, but it works.