LITTLE THINGS MEAN A LOT




Doncha just love those wonderful little, seemingly inconsequential, inventions? I don’t mean the earth-shaking, magnificent accomplishments like cell phones and their offspring, camera phones, tivo, high speed internet, audio books (a mixed blessing), web cams, dvd and cd burners, uSendit, Itunes, blogs…….

No, I mean just tiny, thoughtful ideas to help save a little time, eliminate an irritating annoyance. Who was the nice person that thought up making the back stand on picture frames with one side slanted so you could use either a vertical or horizontal picture in it? That was thoughtful. Or that curved thingy attached to electric cords that clips onto it when you wind it up for storage.

Pull out handles on rolling luggage, push buttons to open umbrellas, beep button to find lost portable phones (be nice to have one of those on remotes, too) One of my favorite inventions is the detachable gas pump. Yes,it is embarrassing to drive off with it attached to your open gas tank, but better that leaving self service hearing that scrape and clang and the horrible scene in your rear view mirror of a writhing pump spewing gasoline all over the service area. And although gasoline will clean the dirt off the side of your car, it also does something to the paint job.

Or zip locks on plastic storage bags…think how many schoolkids are saved the tramatic experience of stale bread with their pb&j, not to mention, effortlessly learning that red and blue make purple.

Who thought up the laborsaving idea of using the lid on the liquid laundry soap to measure just the right amount? Lids in general have evolved, well maybe that really is creationism ….squirt tops on ketsup and mustard – no more searching for mislaid ones. I love those flip top ones on mao. Child-proof lids probably saved a lot of kids. Course there’s the trade off of seniors dying with their medicine bottle, lid intact, cluched in their arthritic hands. Gel caps (capsules, of course, but a nice segue you’ll have to admit) gel caps are so much easier to swallow even if they remind me of midget slugs…excuse me, little people ones.

I adore post-it notes….now you don’t have to hunt for the scotch tape, remember how that pulled the paint off the wall along with the taped note? Clap-on lamps were nice. Whatever happened to those? Someone die of fright in the middle of the night when all their lights came on suddenly?

Now these innovations are not so little but are so convenient that they hold a place in my heart: Household appliances like self cleaning ovens and no-defrost freezers. Most of you are probably too young to remember chipping away at the ice buildup with a knife and boiling water and sitting the pan up there. Those glass topped stoves are nice to look at. Did you know you can melt that glass if you happen to be looking at clack and forget that you left something cooking on HIGH?

Driving innovations can be life saving. I kinda like what they’ve done to the side of the highway. Ya’know when you veer over too far to the shoulder and you get that horrible grating noise and vibration…wakes me up right away. Then there’s seat warmers, remotes that unlock the door and turn on the lights, cruise control, GPS, (I need one of those because I have literally driven miles to get to the next exit to go back and find the right exit I just drove past), DVD players for kid control. No more, “Do I have to stop this car and come back there?” I wish someone would come up with an easier way to open the hood, though. That release handle under the dash takes a lot of muscle to pull, not to mention the search for the little latch inside the hood when you’re standing out in the sleet with your jumper cables over you shoulder.

Sippy cups, diaper caddies, electric warming box for wipes, automatic musical baby swings, telebabies, the wiggles…..not to mention “that night” pregnancy tests and morning after pills. Hmmmmm maybe I shouldn’t go there.

Velcro is real nice. Now kids never have to learn to tie a bow – which they don’t need to know anyway – stores sell colorful bows to just stick on your gifts. Velcro shoulder pads are nice too, except if one should happen to somehow fall out of a loose sleeve and someone taps you on the shoulder and says, “I think this belongs to you.”

Personal enhancement items are great. Like non-absorbent falsies. Ever go swimming with a pair of those old ones in your top? Not a pretty picture when you’ve been out of the pool for awhile. Nail glue is marvelous. One word - leepressonnails. I gave up on eyelash curlers….too dangerous. Self-ear piercers are simple and handy, but studs all the way to the top of the ear are overdoing it, I think. Also won’t go to the various and sundry other places that some people are piercing now.

Thank God for little things.

i have loved the stars too fondly to be fearful of the night

it's just me, geni