Safety First! Wilderness Medicine Course and hand washing 101 for the Mt. Kilimanjaro guides in 2005.
“Finger in your eye. Ten push-ups. Now!”
Those of you who know me are either laughing or cringing. Why? Because, I just caught or have caught you in the act. In the act of what? Sticking your finger in your eye, nose or mouth.
You laugh because I busted you or your classmate, not once or twice, but three times in a day for rubbing your eyes with your finger. Yes, you. It’s okay to itch your eye with the sleeve of your shirt or a hankie. Just no skin to skin contact.
This is how we spread germs. This is how we contract a virus like the common cold.
You cringe because your life-long habit is hard to break. Even on the 5th day of class where some violators have turned sagging triceps into muscles of steel (because of daily multiple penalties), I still catch students unconsciously lifting their glasses up and scratching their eyes with both index fingers. I call that a double dip. And that is a double penalty. Bad Student!
No fingers in the eyes is the only rule I have in my wilderness medicine and avalanche courses.
“Stick your finger in your eye, nose or mouth and it’s a ten-push-up penalty. Copy?”
Trust me about this. I’ve been watching students (now called Learners) stick fingers in their eyes for 20 years. I did it too. It took me years to change my behavior. But, you want to know what really got me to change my behavior? Seven bouts of pink eye during one ski season working at a ski clinic. You know the goopy, oozing, pussy kind. I think I picked it up on door knobs or the gurneys. And I washed my hands often and wore gloves. But, not often enough. So I learned to keep my fingers off my face. I used to bite my finger nails to the nub. Not anymore. Pinkeye kept me from shoving my fingers in my mouth too. My eleven year stint working at an urgent care clinic taking care of people from around the world (Club Med had a hotel at the base of the ski resort) taught me how quickly germs can spread. I was the perfect pretty hostess for of all those bugs, bacteria and viruses. And I got sick, often.
I challenge all my readers to take the “pledge.” When you catch yourself rubbing your eye, DROP, and give me 10. Tell your loved ones to call you out when “you stick your finger in your eye.” After ten reps a day and after your biceps start to hurt you might develop some awareness.
Habits are hard to break. The first step is recognition of the bad habit. Next is awareness. Then, changing the behavior. Good luck and let me know how it goes.
For those of you who are new to my SUSANPURVIS.COM newsletter, welcome.
During this time of social distancing, and over the course of 2020, I’ll share stories about my 20-year tenure teaching wilderness medicine in the hottest, coldest and highest places on the planet along with other common medical problems one might encounter on a hiking trip. But, there is more. I am a woman of few talents. In some newsletters, I’ll write about writing, travel, boating, staying healthy, being single, quitting alcohol, and what I learned about life on the road. I have great photos to accompany the stories.
Again, a big thanks to everyone who has touched my life while sharing Go Find in the US and Canada: friends, colleagues, bookstores, book buyers, librarians, school and teammates, writers, students, listeners, podcast producers, book conferences, film festivals, and writing retreats attendees, and family.
Amazon is selling Go Find paperback for $8.50 as of March 18th.
Take this quarantine time to be still and reflect on all that you are grateful for. We are all in this together. Feel free to reach out and share your thoughts.
XO,
Susan Purvis