Slice of Life Story Day 30 Stickability!

During the week I walk as often as my work schedule allows. On the weekends I walk each day. On a recent walking excursion as I walked with my wife, daughter and two dogs, we chanced upon something shiny on the footpath as we walked along the main street past the shopping precinct of our home town, Mornington. Jane stooped to pick up what we now identified as a two dollar coin. ‘Wow’ she said, ‘My lucky day.’

She made several unsuccessful attempts to pick up the coin and then a sad realization that the coin could not be pricked her balloon of joy. Someone in an inspired act of lunacy had super glued the coin to the pavement. What wickedness lurks on the idle minds of men?  We offered up a half laugh before continuing on our way. Was the perpetrator watching from a concealed vantage point? Were they chuckling away as successive passers by failed to lift the coin so steadfastly fused to the surface of the pavement?  The old super-glued coin trick! This was straight out of Get Smart…

Today, as I drove to work listening to my preferred breakfast announcers, the word ‘superglue’ was again brought to my attention. The voice on the radio said somewhat blithely, ‘Did you know the man who invented superglue died yesterday? He lived a fascinating life. I once bought a book about his life and when I picked it up, I couldn’t put it down!

Seriously though, on Saturday it was announced that Dr Harry Coover, the inventor of Superglue, the super sticky stuff that makes things stick to other things had died at the age of 94 in Tennessee.

Superglue was actually an inspired invention because once you open it and use it, that’s it. It’s effectively only able to be used once because whatever is left in the tube instantly hardens and seals the lid permanently, necessitating the purchase of another tube of the stuff that sticks. Now isn’t a great example of planned obsolescence? That sort of knowledge tends to stick in your brain as well.  

Comments

  1. Sprice31 March 2011 at 06:27

    Clever! Have you read Made to Stick? It is a book that talks about how you can make ideas stick. When I first saw your blog idea, that's what went through my mind. Good for you for walk too! Happy slicing! :)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Wanda Brown31 March 2011 at 09:34

    The old super-glued coin trick! This was straight out of Get Smart… I loved this...I laughed thinking back to a time when this show was the rage (you nailed it).

    Do you suppose someone super glued the money as a tribute to the inventor?

    ReplyDelete
  3. Elizabeth G.31 March 2011 at 11:10

    How appropriate that you would find that stuck coin when you did. Sounds like a tribute to me. ;)

    ReplyDelete

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