This was in 1994 when I was still happily jumping around. A friend suggested we go run a marathon, and I said – Sure!
On the day of the event we were only allowed to run the half distance, 21 km. I was a bit upset before the start, but I understood later that this was a very wise restriction imposed on people without running experience.
We started running on the boulevard that was closed for traffic for the event. There was no traffic allowed along the route we were running. At around the 13-15 km mark, there was a car that appeared from somewhere and passed by us. I’m not sure how it got there, maybe it was a Police car, but I remember to this day that the extra CO molecules from the exhaust fumes made me almost faint. I was grasping for every single oxygen molecule, so the extra exhaust of that car hit me very strong.
Luckily it was only one car and it disappeared fast. So we survived and kept running, our lungs sucking oxygen at our limits.
If you don’t know what CO is, here is the definition from the dictionary:
Carbon monoxide binds with the oxygen carrying elements in the blood, and lowers our capacity to breathe.
In 1995, few cars had catalytic converters, and even fewer where I was running. So carbon monoxide was floating freely and in large volumes on any city street. Nowadays, people in Toronto ride cross-county bikes within the limits of the city, and others jog on Yonge street at peak traffic, and this seems normal. But it was not the same when cars were spewing CO all over the place.
I was thinking these days about people who allow themselves to be frustrated at work, and to keep occupying the working space while in a frustrated state, while we are all working towards whatever 21-km-goal we have (some might call it a “Sprint Goal” ;)).
I feel this frustration, this colorless odorless very toxic emission, is poisoning the (emotional/intellectual) atmosphere and is making it impossible for our intellectual facilities to supply enough fresh ideas to move things forward. I also feel, that just like CO, frustration gets into a long-term bond with the sensitive elements in our souls, and we are left with lowered capacity for intercepting new ideas, knowledge, and experiences.
For companies that rely on intellectual effort in order to achieve their objectives, I feel this is something that needs to be addressed at every level of the organization. Anyone who feels that frustration is about to leak from them into the surrounding area, for example via a frowny expression on their face or a frustrated tone in their voice, and will impact another person, should immediately run for the door, vacate the working space and go for a walk outside, where their frustration can be safely emitted out in the open. Maybe a brisk walk in a nearby park, or around the block, and then come back into the office refreshed, purified, and safe for everyone around them.
I’m not gonna go as far as suggesting that serious frustration-monoxide polluters should be not given a sticker on their license plate, but whoever is responsible for keeping the organizational environment clean and productive, should be thinking on how to retrofit catalytic converters in these clunky vehicles pronto. (Granted, catalytic converters are expensive, reduce the horsepower a little, and add complexity, but it’s sure nice to walk around on a street when all the cars are equipped with converters)
