E Things We Appreciate
It probably
never occurred to Thomas Edison; who set the framework for
entertainment (motion pictures, phonographs),
along with innovative advancements in telecommunication (telegraphs) that we
all enjoy today, to ever worry about his lack of formal education. I appreciate his contributions every time I
turn on an electric
light to read by or check my email inbox.
Andre
Cassagnes had a better name (The Magic Screen), in my opinion, but his
invention called the “Etch A Sketch” was nonetheless inducted into
the National Toy Hall of Fame in 1998. I’m reminded of this challenging toy
every time I sign for a purchase with my
fingertip ;-)
Before they
were made of rubber, gum, or vinyl material, crust-less bread was used in the
removal of black lead pencil markings from paper. This not only eliminated mistakes but kept students from starving during
class, I imagine. While I never did develop a taste for Erasers, I certainly appreciate
what they do.
We keep
plenty of Eggs
on hand as they’re used in so many nutritive applications. However, this sometimes
results in a bit of a surplus, the freshness of which can be challenging to
judge, since they are supposedly good for 2-5 weeks after the Expiration date.
While preparing for Easter festivities, I was delighted to learn
that determining fresh eggs from not-so-much is that the fresh ones won’t float
when placed in a pan of water. Once boiled, there is still no deterrent for
cracks if you drop them ;-)
As Evening shadows
swathe the canyon confines in shades of dusky blue, a hawk dives for its supper
and coyotes howl on cue. Another good ending
to another fine day.
Happy Writing!
Any
thoughts? Can you add to the list of things we appreciate that begin with the
letter E?
You see man made the cars
ReplyDeleteTo take us over the road
Man made the train
To carry the heavy load
Man made the electric light
To take us out of the dark
Man made the boat for the water
Like Noah made the ark
This is a man's world
But it wouldn't be nothing
Nothing without a woman or a girl
- James Brown
Hi, diedre!
I saw the light... and very much enjoyed your "E" essay, dear friend. The part about Edison and his inventions reminded me of that James Brown song. I can't imagine a world without phonographs to play recorded music.
When I was a boy I was given an “Etch A Sketch” and played with it occasionally, but I do not remember having asked for it and I found it rather tedious and boring.
In school it seemed like every kid had his own rubber eraser. They were available in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors. My father worked for an office supply store and I became the proud owner of a very large green rectangular eraser. There was something hypnotic about the process of using an eraser to correct a mistake on paper, feeling the weight and mass of the rubber bar in your hand, inhaling its aroma, rubbing away the error and wiping the paper clean of debris. These steps took more time but were infinitely more satisfying than clicking "delete" on a device. This goes back to our discussion of real books and their "real book smell." Electronics simply don't provide the same organic experience we enjoyed so much in our youth.
Coloring and hunting Easter eggs were among my favorite activities as a boy. There again, I'm sure you recall the strong aroma of the egg dye and how it put you in a trance as you painted the shell. Aromatherapy!
Thank you, dear friend diedre!
Hi Shady!
ReplyDeleteI haven't thought of that James Brown song in a long,long time.
Ironically, as you mentioned the importance of women, I did have Laura Esquivel (Like Water for Chocolate) in mind because I appreciate the sentiment behind the title ;-)
"Organic experience", nicely put, my friend. Seems I always had those silly pink erasers that left "telling" dark spots on the paper, not quite erasing the mistake.
Ha! The 'aroma' of vinegar makes my nose twitch - I much prefer Eggnog ;-)
Thanks for the company, dear Shady!
Hi Diedre - great 'E's and what would we do with out education, or electric light ... let alone entertainment et al - thanks for reminding us ... Etch A Sketch came into my orbit recently .. but a modern version - cannot remember where ! Cheers Hilary
ReplyDeleteHi Hilary!
DeleteHa - Entertainment is excellent!
Have a wonderful day ;-)