EDITOR'S NOTE: In June 2004 I began a new venture as managing editor of both Northfield News and Faribault Daily News. This column originally appeared in the Northfield News on Dec. 8, 2006.
I am enthralled with little conveniences. I realize this probably is an insight into my personality, but insignificant, everyday conveniences have always interested me more than high-tech gizmos. And the other night, I was again intrigued by a small development that probably has gone much unnoticed. I went to open a can of chicken noodle soup for a hungry 4-year-old when I noticed the can was of the variety that had the pop-open lid. Now, mind you, this was a generic soup can and it had one of those easy-to-open pull lids that requires no use of a can opener. I was ecstatic. The pop-open lid started a while ago on many brand name food products, and I thought maybe I was the only one to notice how much more convenient they were. But after picking up a generic soup can that indeed had one, I knew there must be other consumers who appreciate the lids, otherwise companies wouldn't be switching. As a celebrator of little conveniences, I was pleased. Whoever is responsible for the original pop-top soup can, I salute you. You've made at least one person extremely happy. And so the soup can experience got me to thinking: What other little conveniences make me happy? It also made me question whether anyone else has internal dialogues with themselves, but nevertheless ... So what other small conveniences popped into mind, you ask? These are some: The reusable ice cube - Not that long ago, I purchased two sets of football-shaped reusable ice cubes that after you use you wash off and throw back in the freezer. Voila! ... the next time you need ice cubes, they are there, waiting. There's no more guessing about whether there are going to be cubes in the tray when you go to the freezer, or if you have only a couple of cubes left in the tray, whether you should refill it. The reusable ice cube makes those questions null and void. Thank you to the maker of the reusable ice cube ... The just-right-size tape dispenser and wrapping paper cutter - Fitting to mention this close to Christmas are the just-right-size tape dispenser and specially designed wrapping paper cutter. I've never been one who believes that wrapping your own Christmas presents somehow makes the gifts more special. No sir, I am one that heads to the fund-raising gift-wrapping table in the mall, happy to plunk down some money for someone else to wrap the gifts. But the recent development of the just-right-size tape dispenser and wrapping paper cutter has lessened the burden it is to wrap presents and so I salute the geniuses behind those developments too. Admittedly, the far more high-tech developments are lost on me, and I may catch up to the 21st century one day. But today, I salute the maker of the little convenience ... you've earned my admiration. - Devlyn Brooks is managing editor of the Northfield News. He can be reached at dbrooks@northfieldnews.com.
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