A comment on the radio this morning got me to thinking along the lines of the best inventions that make our lives more comfortable. The radio personality was talking about the fact that birds seem to follow him around. Last weekend, as he was about to walk into a wedding reception in formal attire, a bird splattered his suit jacket. This weekend, when he was attending a civic function, he parked his car in an outdoor lot. When he returned at 1:00 a.m., his car was covered with 100 or more “deposits.”
\nOf course, that lead me to sigh with relief that this house has an attached garage. I have NO idea who decided to connect houses with garages, but it was a stroke of genius! I don’t have to suffer the cold rain, sun, birds or even prying neighbors. It’s just a few steps up into the house, rather than a hike, when it’s time to bring in groceries. Who would have thought that such a simple change could make your life so much easier?
\nI think it must have been a female engineer who suggested putting ice and water service into the door of a refrigerator. From a mother’s point of view, it has to be a benefit (once the kids are past the age where playing in the water fascinates them). You can provide your children with cold drinks without having to open the freezer door, or they can serve themselves if they are old enough. BUT, no one has to fill the ice cube trays! How many times have you gone to the freezer to find ONE ice cube left?? Think of the family arguments this has saved!
\nI suppose that men like the idea of a gas log, rather than having to chop wood, lug it in, and then carry the ashes out. Personally, I prefer a wood fire for the rare times we use the fireplace, but there is something to be said about not having to clean out the ashes.
\nHave you tried the product that is a toothbrush with toothpaste ready to go? I understand that some parents pack these disposable brushes with their children’s lunches, and other people use them on short trips. There are dozens of variations on this idea. It’s instructive, and amazing, to stroll down the toothpaste aisle of the grocery store these days.
\nThere are tons of things we take for granted that most of the world has yet to see: in-home washers and driers, showers, garbage disposals, trash compactors, towel heaters, security systems, microwave ovens, and, of course, computers.
\nI like to think that I could do without a lot of these creature comforts, but while they are here, I plan to enjoy them. I can recall the interest in the Foxfire books when they first came out. There are twelve of them now. These books record what life was like in the Appalachian Mountains of northern Georgia, and supply instructions on how to accomplish every day activities such as spinning, weaving, creating tinctures and poultices from herbs, butchering a hog, or making a dulcimer. I think it’s a GOOD idea to record this information. I can see a time when we might need to know those things, and certainly there are still places in the world where it’s important to be self-sufficient.
\nBut, I have the great, good fortune to be living at a time, and a place, where I can take advantage of men’s inventions. I live modestly. I recycle, I don’t litter. I combine my errands to I can make fewer trips and use less gas. My house is not overheated, or over cooled. If needed, I could grow my own fruits and veggies. I’m going to quietly enjoy my attached garage, knowing that I can contribute more to my world if necessary.
\nWhat invention is important to you?<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
A comment on the radio this morning got me to thinking along the lines of the best inventions that make our lives more comfortable. The radio personality was talking about the fact that birds seem to follow him around. Last … Continue reading