By
Dana Rausch
/ June 13, 2011
June 13, 2011
Mold – the homeowner’s newest nightmare. Earthquakes, floods, tornadoes and fire have damaged millions of homes over the years. Although, mold has probably been around for many years also, it is the newest scare. If mold is detected the alarm is sounded. Homeowners contact their insurance companies, and lucky for me, my husband receives a phone call. Not only is he a General Contractor, he is also a Mold Remediation Specialist.
To become a Mold Remediation Specialist he had to be trained in the way to detect mold, how to test for mold type, sending samples to a certified lab, the removal of contaminated area, and the rebuilding of the area back to the original form. I was able to observe him test an area recently and it was very enlightening. Prior to watching, I had no idea the enormity of what was involved. He had to be articulate, precise, and the test was quite time consuming. The area had to be quarantined off, he had to put on protective gear, and use special instruments to test the mold. The spores were placed in a sealed container and sent to a lab for examination.
In the meantime, the homeowners had to leave the area quarantined and they moved to a hotel until the results were in. The reason being, health issues were a major concern. If the results came back positive, then removal of all contaminated parts would begin. That could include walls, cabinets, flooring, clothing, furniture etc. Once mold has attached itself to something, it has to be removed entirely or depending on the object, treated with a chemical to prohibit any more damage either inside or out.
Today, I was thinking about our words. Our words are capable of contaminating others. They have the power to generate so much damage, but sadly cannot just be removed or repaired like mold. Gossip runs rampant and the effects are destructive, yet we listen and pass it on. Like an air conditioner or fan blowing mold spores around in a room creating more and more contamination is exactly what gossip does to us. Hurtful news is passed on, we receive it, believe it and then pass it on to someone else. That someone repeats the process and more and more people are affected, hurt and damaged.
Interestingly, I looked up on yahoo “Steps to mold remediation.” I marveled at how the steps could be used as gossip remediation!
- The source must be Identified and fixed.
- Remove whatever had caused the damage.
- The quicker you address the problem, the less destruction will occur.
- It is critical to make sure you take measures to prevent from spreading.
- Do not use a fan or air conditioner where contamination is evident.
- Address one room at a time.
- Seal off infected area entirely.
- Do not carry infected material through clean rooms.
- Protect yourself from coming in contact with contamination.
- 10. You may need to call in a specialist to address the problem.
Ironic isn’t it? Oh what needless pain we cause because we can’t keep our mouths shut. Is it okay to say in love………”Shut Thy Mouth Up!” Just shut up. Don’t pass on garbage. If the relationship you have with another person is mainly fueled with gossiping about others, it is a shallow and empty relationship. Because you can totally trust in this statement: He who talks TO you will talk ABOUT you.
I liked step 4. It is critical to make sure that you take measures to prevent from spreading. Not everything you hear needs to be repeated. For the life of me I cannot understand why a person feels the need to tell someone else something hurtful that they had heard about them. I don’t get it. I come up with a mental blank every time.
If you were to flip that around, and NOT repeat something wounding to another, what could happen? That person could continue to be at peace? They could be sheltered from hurt? They could continue to be around “that someone” without forever thinking about what was said? Many people I know are like turtles. They have been so injured by hurtful words that they live their lives holed up inside a shell too afraid to come out. Wounded and Damaged.
Because I am a pleaser and I want to make everyone happy, it is devastating for me to learn that someone doesn’t like or approve of me. It is crushing to my already fragile heart to HEAR what others say negatively about me. One hundred people could talk favorably, but all it takes is one negative comment to erase the hundred. Knowing what it does to me personally, I try to put myself in their shoes. Therefore I talk less. I choose to not repeat hurtful things. I choose to not be a gossiper. And can I just say it is a choice.
Mold; though it starts out as a small contamination can take over and destroy. Words; can also start out small but escalate into whole families, churches, communities, governments and countries being destroyed. Is it worth it?