Change the World: Jiggling Eggs
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Can you change the world by jiggling eggs? (And please note: that’s jiggling, not juggling – because juggling eggs is just… messy. Yuk.)
When Mrs. MZM and I first started grocery shopping together (I realize this admission will probably earn me a sharp reprimand from the MMA - the Manly Men’s Association - but hey, I can take it), well, it was quite the learning experience for poor little ol’ unsophisticated me. I mean, prior to our engagement, my favorite home-cooked foods tended to range from fried spam sandwiches (I’m tellin’ ya – they’re the BEST!) to anything that included the words “Hamburger Helper” on the box.
Ah, well, luckily I proved to be somewhat teachable. Over the years I’ve managed to learn a few things about the fine art of grocery shopping, particularly about certain foods. (Although I still miss my spam sandwiches. *sigh*)
Case in point: eggs. The very first time I observed Mrs. MZM buying eggs, I noticed she carefully examined the ends of each carton, looking for the one with the latest date. It’s pretty obvious, really, but I realized that was something I’d literally never given a passing thought to. I usually assumed that any eggs on the shelf were OK.
(A side note – of course, now that I know about expiration dates, I would never even consider eating an egg past its date; even the thought turns my stomach. But back then, I could have done it unknowingly, and who cared? Funny how perceptions influence reactions, isn’t it? But I digress.)
Anyway, after selecting a particular carton of eggs, she opened it up and used her finger to, er, jiggle each egg, one by one. Interesting; I’d never seen that done before. In fact, after 25 years of marriage, I don’t think I’ve ever seen anyone else doing it either.
The reason is once again obvious (once she explained it, of course – back then, I was dumber than a post regarding this stuff): it’s to check if any of them are broken. Broken eggs will stick to the carton and can’t be moved, even slightly (not to mention stink to high heaven). Don’t you hate it when you get a carton of eggs home and then discover one or more are already broken? Well, this never happens to her!
Nowadays, Mrs. MZM can even send me to the store, alone, resting easy in the knowledge that any eggs I buy will be: a) good for a while, and b) unbroken in the carton. (‘Course, I still tend to go for the ice cream aisle. Sadly, I’m weak that way.)
The other day while at the grocery store, Mrs. MZM told me a young woman watched her do her egg-checking ritual, and then came up and asked her about it. The woman was amazed, and resolved to do the same thing from then on.
So…
I think the real question here is, Are you teachable? If you encounter an opportunity to learn something new, does it turn into a traumatic experience? And when you find yourself getting dragged (drug?) out of your comfort zone, do you go out kicking and screaming all the way?
Or, does it come easy? I assure you, it’s not a trivial question!
I submit (and believe me, I’m including myself in this one too!) that cultivating an attitude of learning is the absolute best way to make it through the lessons life has to give us. I mean, c’mon – does anyone honestly expect their lives to be without bumps or setbacks (if you do, you’re living in a dream world, my friend!)
So how do we get through those times? Why, we learn something new, that’s how!
Now, along about here is where I’m supposed to come up with some great philosophical grandiose pronouncement that sums everything up. Well, after due consideration, all I can think of is this question (and note I didn’t say profound!):
Can one change the world by jiggling eggs? You tell me! (Told you it wasn’t very profound..)
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11 responses so far
Middle Zone Musings is a comfortable place to stop, have a cup of coffee, swap a few stories and share practical ideas for the real world. I don't ask for much, just a bit of your brain every now and then. Have a seat, take a load off, and relax...
First, I’ve got to say, I jiggle eggs. I probably don’t take as much care as your wife, but if you just quickly tap a few and run your hand over the top of them, you can typically get a good feel for how well the carton’s doing.
I am a big believer in knowledge, and if I learn something new, I consider that excellent, even if it proves me wrong. Actually, I kind of like being wrong about a lot of things, since I typically learn more that way.
Having stocked eggs for years in my youth (and cleaned up my share of broken egg messes), I just turn each one of the darned things over and look.
My attitude toward learning varies, depending on what it is I’m trying to learn. When I’m trying to master a new software program, I suffer anxiety attacks. When I’m studying a new online marketing strategy, I’m totally revved up. One thing’s for sure, if you’re afraid to make a mistake, you’ll have a hard time learning anything. BTW, if you’ve never checked out http://www.spam.com, I’m guessing you’ll like it.
http://www.spam.com
Sam: Hey, another egg-jiggler! Put ‘er there, Sam! Good philosophy on learning, too. Do you think it’s true that we tend to learn more when the lessons are traumatic ones?
Mike: Too easy!
Brad: I know what you mean. A new software routine we need at work is giving me fits because I just can’t find the enthusiasm for it. And you’re dead-on about being afraid of making mistakes, too! Can you remember your most profound lesson learned that way? Why not post it and link here?
And I never thought I’d use these words, but “Oh, and thanks for the Spam!”
I’m not sure we learn MORE when events are traumatic, but we’d certainly remember the event better (note: the EVENT, not necessarily what you learned from it). This could lead to a hindsight bias when looking back on what we learned and all of it seems to be from traumatic events. The other events, while still learned from, may not be remembered specifically as well. But you’ve still got the learning.
OK, good point, Sam. But as for hindsight bias - well, everybody has that tendency!
About new software–I have a lot of Adobe products and have learned to break the learning down into small steps and ignore all the stuff I don’t know yet. The ability to selectively tune things out is a skill worth developing. It has saved my sanity more than once.
Wow, I never knew there were so many of us! Maybe we should start a community: The International Fraternity of Egg Jigglers (IFEJ), or something similar.
We should come up with a website, a catchy slogan, a theme song, secret handshake, uh,- (sound of blunt object hitting back of head)
Wow. I also jiggle eggs. I´m a recent jiggler, I only began about a year ago, after getting fed up with having broken eggs. Of course, they still manage to get broken on the way home, when my dear husband is carrying them and forgets they´re fragile, but that´s beside the point.
On software, I try not to learn too many new things, because I really enjoy it. I can fiddle for hours with a new toy! Which means I usually don´t get anything else done for the day, so I try to limit learning stints to an hour or two a day and one big thing (like software) a week.
Not that it always works . . .
Howdy, Genesis! Welcome to the IFEJ!
Your hubby may need to enter the remedial program… but don’t worry, there’s hope for everybody!