I teach systems thinking and so by design, or default, my work supports educators and students to do a lot of critical thinking. Generally it’s focused on the global challenges that we are currently contemplating; climate change, systemic racism, those big consequential things.
But today, my critical thinking skills were brought to the test…. by a washing machine.
I’m traveling for work in Europe from my home in Mexico and my heritage in California, all of which come to bear on the critical thinking that was applied to this very European washing device. I will admit that this isn’t the first time that I’ve been challenged by a European appliance, there seems to be something in the C for celsius that isn’t immediately intuitive to my F for fahrenheit upbringing.
I decided to take this one month work trip bringing only a backpack for my clothes, computer and all things (in retrospect, not the best choice in the middle of winter). Since we are now 15 days in and this is my first opportunity at a laundry service, the need was dire enough to warrant approaching the intimidating control panel to give it a go.
There are 7 numbered options and then A,B,C,D which appear to also be options. They each have little drawings next to them which I’m half trying to decipher and mostly just trying to figure which seems the most normal. Do I really need all these icons applied to my sweatpants?
Next there are 3 dials. The first is an easy one, a big ⁰C for celsius, got it. The next though is trickier, it has something that might be a sun, or a mindmap or maybe it’s a spinny thing and the dial also has numbers that seem like they could be degrees, except they go up to 120 ⁰. I don’t know what 120 ⁰C would be in Fahrenheit, but I don’t think that’s an acceptable thing in washing machines. Or is it? Then, the last one was labeled P – what does that mean? What language does my washing machine speak? I’m in Budapest, so should I be trying to interpret Hungarian? Given the very generically confusing icons, I kinda doubt Hungarian is it’s mother tongue, but then, what universal symbol is P? So many questions that my thinking brain has no answers for.
There is a button that is clearly an “on” button (which feels like a win) but then four more options that seem like they might be different moments in a cycle, except the last one which has ¾ and the sun like symbol again, hmm? Do I push them all, or maybe none, maybe they are just there for extra emphasis, like some soaking or more spins? I don’t know.
I used my critical thinking skills to do the easy bits. I put some detergent in a drawer marked 1, some fabric softener in a drawer marked 2. I ignored the drawer marked 3. I then figured that maybe it was all set up by the last brave washer so I just jammed my clothes in, pushed the obvious “on” button and celebrated cautiously as the machine seemed to respond with some noises and movement. I then jumped in the shower in the same room to keep an eye on things in these crucial early moments. As I said, this wasn’t my first rodeo with European appliances, I had been duped before.
While showering, I celebrated when the washing drum started rotating. This seemed like a good thing except there didn’t seem to be any water. I gave it the benefit of the doubt that maybe it was just warming up, but then when nothing much changed I started to wonder if I should have pushed the button that looked like a storm cloud with rain. I stepped out of the shower and pushed it. The rotating continued but nothing new happened. So then I did the classic fix for all non working appliances; I turned it off, tried to open it up (but it wouldn’t let me), waited a bit and turned it on again. Again, the rotating started and nothing much else.
This is where the rotation comes into question. The drum rotates a few rounds to the right, stops for a bit and then again to the left, stops for a bit, and then again to the right. It reminded me of 4 box breathing that you use when you feel like you might have an anxiety attack or start a yoga class. I can clearly hear my friend Plantate reminding me, breathe in on your right nostril while pressing closed your left, hold it for 4, breathe out your left, hold it for 4 and then again until we had all settled into our mats for practice that day. Does my washing machine need to take it slow, settle in, exemplify zen in the cleaning process? Why can’t it just go round and round, isn’t that what machines do that people don’t?
I think I have some PTSD from past experiences of failure and they all started to rush back. Will I ever get the door open to save my clothes? Do I have to admit my non sophisticated status and write the Airbnb owner for a step by step instruction? Is the sun-like thing a drying icon? Do washing machines dry things too? The latina and the European traveler say a “hard no” to that – as the only way to dry is on the line, but my American is starting to wonder, hmm? I’m still in the shower, staring fixedly at the control panel for the obvious thing that I’ve missed and I can feel the new neuron connections happening as my brain struggles to carve out a neural pathway to success.
In the end, I pushed enough buttons to get it to add water although I have yet to notice any soap in the process. It occasionally breaks from the 4 box technique to demonstrate a bit more versatility and spin speed and that seems like a good sign. It has now been over an hour which feels concerning but I’ve been conditioned by my previous experience to know that the decision to free my clothes isn’t mine, so no use in going in there to pound on the door, I’ll just wait and see what comes.
Is this what my workshops feel like? Uff, tough work it is.