by Patti
Have you ever had what you thought was a stunningly originally idea; the kind of idea that makes you think, “I can’t believe nobody has ever thought of this before?” There you are, feeling all smug and clever, you and your idea. And then, something or someone makes you realize that, uh, that “original” idea has actually been around forever, and wow! You are JUST discovering this?
My mom was over at our house the other night, and she was keeping me company at the breakfast bar while I peeled zucchini. Yes, we eat zucchini. My kid is weird. Remind me to sometime tell you about the time when she was five years old and complained at a birthday party that pepperoni pizza was being served because COME ON, isn’t there any ASPARAGUS around here? So, yes. We eat lots of healthy things at home because my kid – through no work of mine and only sheer luck – loves them.
Anyway. So there I was peeling away with my potato peeler, when my mom leaned in and said, “You know what?” She had a twinkle in her eye – one that told me she was about to share a very valuable secret with me. “I use that to peel potatoes instead of a knife!” She leaned back and crossed her arms over her chest, completely
satisfied with herself. Confused, I looked around, looking for something other than the potato peeler in my hand that would be a significant discovery to ease the peeling of potatoes.
Seeing nothing, I motioned to the potato peeler in my hand. “What…this?”
“Yes!” she threw her arms up in a can-you-believe-it kind of way.
And this is where I had to be careful. Because there she was, so proud of her
obvious resourcefulness; so willing to share her secret tips with her daughter; so sorry for me and my own sad lack of cleverness. I was missing out on so much. But I couldn’t help it: I was about to be one of those “ruiners”; those people who delight in setting others straight.
“Uh…mom?”
“Yes?”
“This? Is a potato peeler. You’re supposed to use it to peel potatoes."
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| The next Big Thing |
She looked confused for a moment. I had in one simple sentence rendered her completely incapable of comprehension. And then, as it dawned on her, she started laughing - and could not stop. And I joined her. Because, really? How freaking cute is she?
