Great Inventions
This generation is blessed with many fantastic devices that did not exist a hundred or
even fifty years ago. Giant color TV’s
that weigh about 6 pounds. Cable or satellite
reception…hell, satellites! First phones, then cell phones. I remember calculators being a big deal,
Polaroid cameras were a blast, computers and libraries of information at your
fingertips was unimaginable; now it is all on a little box in your pocket. GPS, air-conditioning, microwave ovens…modern
conveniences are just too many to list and more are developed every day, but
today I want to pay homage to some older incredible inventions that we really
take for granted.
These
inventions may not seem like much, but just try to imagine your life without
them. They are not technical, not fancy,
not complicated, most solved problems we didn’t even know we had.
Pop-up tissues – This one is genius, how they are
packed I don’t know, but if you have a sudden sneeze sneak up on you, how great
is it to have a tissue at the ready?
Pop-top cans – Not a big deal? It is if you ever had to tear the house apart
looking for a church key.
Automatic ice makers – I hated those ice tray thingies,
they shot ice all over when you opened them, and you never had enough ice.
Zippers – Buttons are ok, but they do not
match the convenience of zippers. I still don’t know how these things work. Word of caution to men; alcohol, a full bladder, and
zippers are not a good combination.
Velcro – Not as good as zippers for some
tasks, but a God-send for parent of squirmy toddlers.
Teflon – Solved many a sticky issue.
The Snuggy –
OK, bad example.
Corn-on-the-cob butterer –
If you don’t have one of these,
get one!
Plastic garbage cans and bags – No more dents, noise and stink.
Wheels on
suitcases – Hauling 40+ pounds through an airport was near impossible…still, I don’t
know what took so long for this one.
I’m sure I left
out many very simple inventions that we simply take for granted, so hit me with
your “How could you forget…”
comments.
I'm quite fond of my garage door opener, esp. In the winter months. Thanks, Genie!
ReplyDeleteThe PLASTIC straw! Not the paper ones that you used to get with your little 6 oz (what were they thinking?) bottle of Coca Cola, that got soggy before you were even done with those 6 paltry ounces!
ReplyDeleteThe first thing I looked at after reading your post - my rescue inhaler. I probably wouldn't make it very far if I had lived 50 years ago. The medical field has advanced so much, it's almost as unreal as a movie on a little disk or rations that heat themselves on the battlefield. Yep, we've come a long way, Baby!
ReplyDeleteBeing a diabetic, I'd have to say my blood sugar monitor & insulin!!
ReplyDeleteBallpoint pens. No more ink stains.
ReplyDeleteaerosol air fresheners, spring loaded pegs to hang the washing, steam irons, no more sprinkling the clothes with water before ironing like my mum used to do. Me? I just took things off the line while still damp, ironed them, put them on hangers and hung them inside the porch to finish drying/airing.
ReplyDeleteFrost free fridges/freezers!! No cold fingers - jugs of hot water. - hanging over the edge of a chest freezer hoping you don't fall in.
ReplyDeleteCathy @ Still Waters
indoor plumbing. and hot water heaters! yes, refrigerators, too. i cannot imagine 'old ways'. yes, i know these are bigger items like electricity. right now my brain can't think of something simple that impacts my little life.
ReplyDeleteAir Conditioning! And of course electricity, because there are no peddle powered air conditioners. :)
ReplyDeleteBlow dryers and curling irons and battery operated anything, solar lights, motion sensitive security lights....
ReplyDeleteFor me it is Kindle. I now carry 1200 books in a 5x7, thin gadget.
ReplyDeleteWasher and dryer. I remember my mom with the wringer washing machine and had to hang the laundry to dry outside. Inside during the rainy season. How about a dishwasher. Loved that appliance.
ReplyDeleteThe toaster. You probably know how toast was done before the toaster. The list goes on and on.
Can you imagine what another 50 years will yield? Lots of stuff not thought of yet.
Have a fabulous day. ☺
My sewing/embroidery machine. Such a luxury and I know it. :)
ReplyDeleteHow about the TV remote? How wonderful for my 95-year-old Mom and many others who can channel surf without having to get up and "change the dial." And of course, plastic. It's everywhere!
ReplyDeleteDial telephones that replaced the Operator saying "Number, please."
ReplyDeleteZip top bags. Amazing things.
ReplyDeleteI could do without the Internet, but air conditioning is an absolute must.
ReplyDeleteI always think of the poor legal secretaries typing long legal documents on manual typewriters when I click "undo, undo, undo" in my Word document.
ReplyDeleteAutomatic coffee makers are pretty darn handy.
ReplyDelete