Thirteen "Conveniences" That Still Amaze Me(in no order and with no plan... rumination est moi)
1. Washing machine. I just walked by mine and stopped to ponder. Wow... I'm not pounding clothes on rocks. Amazing. (sometimes I forget these mundane machines...)
2. iPod. Never in my wildest dreams did I envision owning one of these little creatures. Now I own two. And I'm eyeing that new iTouch.... oooh baby baby. I use both of mine all the time. I could write off a new one. I play music in class while my students write. Hmmmm.....
3. Bose noise-reduction headphones. Hellloooo... jet noise. Gone. And more. Love 'em.
4. Potato peeler. Simple, easy, beats a knife (at least in my book).
5. Computer. Too obvious? Okay, we do have to confront pros/cons, but I love mine. Two, again. Laptop and desk model. Mac! Ease, simplicity, elegance.
6. Hot shower and/or bath. Which really means that I am amazed at my hot water heater. No lugging pails to the stove, huh? Oh, I suppose I could have said "indoor plumbing," but I never knew a world without indoor toilets. Now, I do love a bidet, but don't have one. The joys of travel in Italy and France.
7. Pantyhose. Changed. Every woman's. Life. I am old enough to remember garter belts and nylon hose (runs!) and nail polish (stop runs!).
8. PopTop Cans. Remember all those can openers -- several in every gadget drawer in the house? Then, remember the tabs that you could make into a chain (and slice open your foot at the beach?).... convenience, thy name is aluminum. (probably the cause of cancer, huh?)
9. Sewing machine. I use mine. A lot. I think sewing is making a comeback, but more on the craft front.
10. T.V, Radio, and Electricity. I'm condensing because my mind ran them all together. I don't have t.v. hooked up to cable, but I do love the flat screen and movies. No world without electricity... think about that.
11. Mail. I love mailing and getting mail. People bitch about the cost of stamps. Oh well, isn't it fun to get a package? Or send a package and get a thank you back. I also love post cards. And long newsy letters beat email any day. I include UPS and FedEx and that leads to catalogs and internet ordering... oh my.
12. Cell phone. Eeeek. Never thought I'd say that either. But... way back, over 12 years ago, I was in a study and they gave me a mobile phone. The first time I whipped out that baby and called a parent during class... I was sold. Here's this little scamp, disturbing my class, so I take him outside, ask him his mom's number, call, introduce myself and hand the phone to him, to explain. The entire class, and by word-o-mouth the whole school, sat awestruck. I ruled! Now the phone rarely rings but I do feel "in touch" with the world.
13. Microwave. Although I must say, I think this convenience has changed the world in more negative ways than we might realize. (families don't sit down and eat any more, do they?) Still, how many times a day do I zap something? Coffee cold? Zap. Need chicken stock? Zap. Defrost that? Zap.
I am sure I've left a zillion conveniences in the dust of my morning coffee haze.What say you?Conveniences you notice, don't notice, or those without which you would perish?Inquiring minds want to know.
1. Ernest Borgnine & Ethel Merman -married for what, five minutes?
