Stories Around Me 03 – (Repost) The Story Behind a Broken Glove

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It’s a broken glove. To be precise, this is a worn-out rubber work glove for the left hand. The rubber surface layer has aged, and it is cracked in some areas. Two of the 5 finger covers are damaged: the one on the ring finger has been cut off completely, while the one on the index finger looks as though it has been bitten by something, with an uneven appearance that is quite unsightly. I tied it to the bar behind the locker door where the towels are hung. Every time I opened the cabinet to change clothes on my way to or from work, that broken glove kept appearing before my eyes, like a prisoner who had suffered a great injustice – holding its damaged fingers, with its mouth open, teeth bared, and blood flowing, as it cried out in pain, telling me about an incident that had taken place 2 years earlier… I clearly remember it was a long night shift, and I was feeding thread into the winding machines for the washing and stretching process. The safety operating procedures for feeding yarn into the curling machine specify that the operator must insert the yarn bundle into the gap between the top rollers of the curling machine, with both hands kept away from the machine. The tow passes smoothly through the crimping machine thanks to the gripping force of the top roller in the crimping machine and its rotation. Everyone is aware of the safety standards for handling the yarn, but in order to feed the yarn into the coiling machine more quickly, better, and smoothly, many operators are accustomed to using their left hand to hold the yarn and feed it into the machine. I used to do the same thing in the past, and there were never any problems, and of course this time is no exception. I quickly cut the fiber bundle, inserted its end into the top roller of the curling machine, closed the top roller, held the fiber bundle with my left hand, and started the curling machine without even checking where my left hand was. I thought to myself: I must have repeated these movements countless times; I can do them with my eyes closed. The moment I started the curling machine, I suddenly felt my left hand, which was wearing a glove, being firmly grabbed by the upper roller of the machine and twisted downward with force, causing severe pain in my fingers. I was terrified and quickly pressed the stop button… Still in shock, I moved my fingers, which were slightly swollen and numb (thankfully, the joints weren’t badly damaged), while looking at the glove that had been bitten by the curling machine; a chill ran down my spine as I felt waves of fear. I kept this broken work glove, which was doomed to be unrepaired, and hung it in the locker room. It will accompany me throughout my life, always reminding me of the importance of safety.