If you want not to make any mistakes, just stop performing

Paskelbta: 2016-11-10

Have you ever pondered your existence like why I am here, where am I. What is the purpose of my life and what are my values? I have a feeling of you smiling. I doubt if there are any mature people who haven‘t thought about these things. I am the person who sticks to such ideas permanently. I am not stating I am philosophizing daily, but as long as I stop in my daily routine I realize I start pondering my existence. First of all, for me it means harmony with nature. As soon as I take a breath, I comprehend it is a gift from nature… Admiring the starry sky or the music of chirping crickets inspire my moving fingers to be thankful for such gifts. This way my heart filled with romantic love, I return to the whirl of my daily rhythm of my working routine. Every time I divide myself with more powerful energy. As an echo I receive warm responses and appreciations. This plenitude and happiness seem to be inexhaustible resource. And suddenly BANG…

But I should start from the beginning. I am producing duvets with homemade wool fillings called “Labos nakties“ (“Good Night”). I take all kinds of individual orders. So the order to make a mattress for the child bed did not cause any concern as I had had practice of making such items. It was a tested, reliable product of quality. I produced the perfect bearing for the child according to the client’s sent measurements and packed it into a usual carton package which was a bit bigger, so there was some empty space in the package. I thought it was alright as it fitted in. And so the product started its journey at the parcel distribution centre. From there sometimes being tossed by the service staff as it was not heavy my responsibly handmade item reached the USA by plane. A few more pairs of hands passed it to the client.

I was impatiently waiting for the usual praise I got used to sounding like ‘perfect’ so I opened the letter of the client without any excitement or hesitation and what I found was … ’It doesn’t fit! Wrong size! You made it too small!’ For some time I couldn’t believe my eyes… I was sure about the measurements either in inches or centimeters. After sewing the items I always check the measurements of the order. I am not a drug addict… I have not fallen in love… Measurements are not colors! How could it possibly be too small??!!

I had a difficulty selecting the right words while writing the answer to the client asking him to take a picture of the bed with the mattress and the measuring line in order to prove the fact of disruption. I was waiting for an answer practically unable to do anything else. I put all my soul into the items I produce and correct spoilage as soon as I notice it. My priority is the quality so I correct the spoilage before it being noticed by a client. I was sure the client had made the mistake while ordering and giving me the measurements. I couldn’t accept it was my mistake still the waiting time was full of anxiety and lasted like eternity.

At last I received the answer with pictures of the mattress in the bed and the measuring line next to it. Despair, confusion in my head… How could it have happened!!! It was too small for sure…

Without any hesitation I promised the client to send another mattress. But I had a more difficult task: what should be the size of the item I had to make to be the right one. I had been analyzing the situation for some time… Bingo! I had cleared the problem! I had made the right size of the mattress but the carton package spoilt the size of the item during the long journey overseas as the wool fiber shrank under certain conditions.

The way out was simple — I had to make a carton packet of the equal size to the mattress which made it strengthen and enabled not to change the size. The second try was successful. Apologizing for disruption, I knitted wool socks for the baby and asked to keep the first mattress for other needs. The client was satisfied and thanked.

I have learnt my lesson that the ones who are afraid of making mistakes should stop producing. With an open mind I state that I had better make mistakes than stop my activity as my existence requires.