My friend was visiting from back home and we were
leaving my house for lunch. As I put my SUV in reverse the back-up camera
appeared on the display screen, replacing the radio and temperature settings. I
stared at the screen as I navigated my narrow and steep driveway, never looking
over my shoulder as I was taught in the 80s on a school owned Ford Tempo,
complete with passenger side breaks.
“Oh, your new car has a back-up camera too. I can’t
live without mine.” Liz exclaimed.
“I know, right? I’m kind of ashamed how much I rely on
it, but seriously – what a great invention.”
“Yeah, it’s like the greatest thing since…” She paused
and squinted. I knew what she was thinking.
“Sliced bread?” I offered.
“That’s what I was initially going to say, because I
always do, but that seems an outdated analogy now.”
“Especially when comparing to a microscopic camera
that automatically kicks on and off simply by switching gears.”
Like most people, I grew up with “sliced bread” as the
standard to compare all inventions. Though I’m too young to appreciate the
novelty of purchasing bread that has been pre-sliced for the first time, my
parents used the saying enough that I got the gist.
“These new microwave ovens are the greatest thing
since sliced bread.” My mom exclaimed to her friends regarding the Amana
monstrosity recently delivered to our countertop, circa 1982.
"Velcro! The greatest thing since sliced bread.”
My dad. Yeah, he bought the wallets, shoes and pretty much anything that
featured the “space-age technology.” The ripping sound irritates me to this
day.
“Yeah, there must be a current standard. Something
else we could never live without now and would fit the ‘greatest thing since,’
comparison.” Liz looked up and a perfect example caught her eye on my
windshield. “Like EZ Pass. Easily one of the greatest inventions of our
lifetime.”
“Agree,” I nodded. “I could never go back to not
having one. That’s a good one. But, how about caller ID? I mean, would you even
think about answering a phone now without knowing who’s calling?”
“No way. No name, no answer. Move that one to the top
of the list.”
“Well, that leads us to cell phones. Smart phones to
be exact.”
“Except, sometimes I want to throw mine out the
window. EZ Pass and Caller ID have never frustrated me, or broken, cracked,
become obsolete…”
“Good point. I think we all have love/hate
relationships with our phones.”
I navigated a parallel parking spot and thought soon this will be a thing of the past too. Liz then pointed out I’m lucky my next car will most likely have that feature standard. I stuck my tongue out at her.
We entered the restaurant and ordered drinks and
salads. The waitress used an ipad. When she left we both said,“Ipad.”
“Are we making a list?”
“Sure,” I said. “We haven’t found the gold standard
yet and I think I feel a blog coming on.”
Liz rolled her eyes, but offered, “satellite radio.”
“How about medical advances? I got my sight back
seventeen years ago and am grateful for Lasik everyday. But, I guess that’s not
universal.”
“True, maybe that’s your personal sliced bread.”
“I think yours is the DVR since you work and travel so
much.”
“Ooh, that’s true. It’s awesome to fast forward
through the commercials too. Though I still watch funny ones on Youtube on my
laptop when travelling.”
“Laptops. Computers in general.”
“True,” She said, but took a sip of her beer and
added, “but really, where we would be without the internet now?”
“I guess that’s the absolute thing I couldn’t live
without.”
“Me too,” she said. “That has to be at the top.”
Our salads arrived and we dug in.
“Mine is great.”
“Mine too, As great as…” I looked around, “Well, I
guess it’s time to get rid of the sliced bread analogy since no one serves it
anymore."
Liz laughed. “True. My salad is a as awesome as the
internet. Though I’d kill for a slice of bread.”
How about you – what’s your sliced bread?
