On my very first day back from vacation, I decided to de-ice the office freezer, in part because I needed to put something in there. My preferred tool for this job was a large screwdriver, temporarily conscripted into service as an ice pick. I had de-iced freezers this way many times in the past. So what could possibly go wrong?
Well, the little plume of escaping gas after one over-exuberant poke was my answer. Turns out, that’s the refrigerant. (Luckily, it's not Freon.) So yes, in one fell stroke, I felled the refrigerator. And, having admitted my foolishness to my coworkers, I now fully expect to be regularly lampooned by them. In fact, if I don’t at least occasionally find a screwdriver on my desk when I arrive at work, I’ll be disappointed.
You see, beyond mere humor value, such ridicule conveys a very important message. First, it reminds me that I make mistakes, which is good for humility. But second, and more importantly, it declares that my friends love me even with my hilarious flaws. Whereas the laughter of enemies wounds, the laughter of friends heals.
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