Is there a single piece of technology that has recently transformed your life - for the better?
Ah, so many wonderous technological advancements to explore in this day and age...the rapid rate of progress and change makes it almost impossible to single out only one that has truly reshaped my life and the lives of those around me. Is it the iPhone? The iPod? The Blackberry? The Segway Personal Transporter? The Rascal Mobility Scooter? The iSlice? MicroSoft Windows Vista (snorf)? Jumping Stilts? The Large Hadron Collider? The Big City Slider Station (I almost went with this one)????
No, it's none of these things, and I'll tell you why. Years ago, when my first child was born, I found myself faced with daily challenges I had never seen coming. Finding time to eat, drink, shower, and brush my teeth became a major and mighty coup. The time factor, however, was only part of the problem, the other being doing everything one-handed, as I had a very small and delicate object warmly and perpetually tucked against my right side.
Now, I knew how it felt to have to unwrap a Nutrigrain bar with only one hand in starving desperation; to smash a glass Coke bottle against the counter-top, eagering sucking down the delicious liquid despite the shards of broken glass ravaging my throat; to balance one-half of my body precariously outside of the shower stall, trying to remember which side of my neglected and filthy body was due for a thorough scrubbing; to strategically step one end of the tube of toothpaste to twist off the cap with my one free hand and then squeeze the contents out. I had found clever and industrious ways to accomplish all of the tasks of the day. All but one.
Despite endless attempts at this specific task, I failed miserably time and time again. Frustration led to fits of crying and screaming, both from me and the baby in my arms. Certainly, he could sense my anger, my frustration, my incompleteness as a mother. But what was the solution? Would I ever find relief?
The answer came quite unexpectedly. My husband and I had ventured down to the condo on lake Oconee for a brief respite. The lake house, being owned by my father, is quite luxurious: marble countertops, plush furniture, indoor plumbing. I fingered everything lovingly as we walked through the place upon arrival. It was magical. We had certainly been here before, but what had changed? As a new parent, I had a renewed appreciation for all things refined. I noticed the small things: the placement of the flower arrangements, the clean floors, the precisely folded towels. Clean sheets on the bed. Streak free mirrors. Full toilet paper holders. Oh, bliss!
One item in particular, though, caught my attention. It stood out from the rest. Certainly, being surrounded by sparkling cleanliness and tasteful decor had its merits, but these were things I was comfortable living without. There was one thing, I realized over the course of the weekend, that would change my life forever. Or at least for the duration that I was carrying a football shaped object under my arm.
I didn't notice it at first. I was using it one-handed with ease, without even noticing. I pulled on the thing and I got what I wanted. I continued on with my work in the kitchen. Tug, tug, release. Tug, tug, release. I found myself doing it over and over again; It was fun! What was this? What was different? How could such a menial task elicit such disproportionate pleasure?
Then, suddenly, I knew. I could finally see the elephant before me, grandly posed atop the gleaming countertop. "Honey!" I screamed. My husband, panicked, came recklessly running in to the kitchen. "What's wrong!?!?" He gasped, seeing that I was clearly uninjured, and, in fact, bursting with joy. "What in the hell is it? You scared me to death!" he snapped."Look," I prodded, tilting my head towards the source of my elation. "Look at what?" he asked, confused. "The paper-towel holder!" I gushed. "What about it. It's a freakin' paper-towel holder. So, what?" His eyes were darting back and forth, desperate to solve the enigma of the relationship between his wife and the paper towel holder. "Yes, but it's a tension paper-towel holder, Honey! I can rip it off one-handed!!!!" He rolled his eyes, but then tried the gadget for himself. "It works!" he proclaimed. "Yes!" I giggled, and fell into his arms.
Life would be better now, we knew. No fits of rage in the middle of the night in the kitchen, formula spilled on the floor and curdled in the morning. No more moments of embarassment when a guest casually asks for a paper towel at lunch. No more fear of soda spilling, baby vomitting, or sink splashing. Our prayers had been answered.
On our way home form the lake, we stopped by Blood-Bath & Beyond and bought our very own tension paper-towel holder, for only $19.99. As other new mothers came to visit in our home, I heard the comment, "Where did you get this?!?!" more and more followed by, "I'm sure it costs a fortune!!" I quickly set my friends' minds at ease. "Wow! I can't believe it's so cheap!" they exclaimed. Soon all of my friends had one of their own. To this day, we are all still enthusiastically spreading the word about this one-handed wonder that drastically improves the life of any new mother, or anyone else for that matter. My husband and his friends get just as excited because now, at least, they don't have to put their sandwich down when in need of a paper towel.
And so, when faced with the quiry "Is there a single piece of technology that has recently transformed your life - for the better?", the answer is a triumphant "Yes!": the Tension Paper-Towel Dispenser. I hope that this small bit of insight will help to ease the stress of everyday life for all who read it. If you do not already have one, avoid future regret by purchasing one for yourself right away!
Upon writing this, I am now eagerly awaiting the invention of the tension toilet-paper holder, which is a whole other story.
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