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[ 2 minute read ]
I love Puddles
Wet and Warm
I am fed up with how technology is offered to the people in the form of games, and presents itself in the form of devices that entertain idle thumbs. We all have Smart Phones now, which are neither phone or computer. Even I have a Smart Phone; which I charge every few days but never use more than once every nine or ten charges (a month?).
Most of us don't like poor weather. I like puddles but these days modern technology and wisdom has got us all to stop leaking petrol, oil and diesel onto the roads so I no longer see the iridescent film over the puddles in Summer sunshine. I think I also miss seeing the odd crisp packet, that used to tell me that there was a passing person earlier in the day; or better still - was it a month ago? Oooh! a mystery! Then again I really don't want to see litter after all. I suppose writing murder mystery stories is much harder now that there are no cigarette dog-ends with lipstick on them; a woman killer or a gender-fluid assassin?
'No idea, Ma'am' the sergeant murmured, scratching under his wig.
No, I think technology should be used for more practical purposes than just toys and telling us about micro-particulates in our food. I want a machine that can roll up puddles, now that they are no fun, and package them to be sent to dry and arid places where they can be digitally restored. If such a machine or puddle transporter ever gets invented I shall set up a travel company for tourists to go to the hot countries to take selfies next to a newly unrolled puddle. I would also give them a complimentary 5ml of oil to drip onto the puddle so they can also get swirling colours on top of them. Of course, I would have little boxes of sunshine to sell them and tripods on which to mount the sunshine, with special analogue tools to make them experience the whole sunshine - puddle - oil 'thing'.
'Oh my goodness! Is this what grandad and grandma had to do after it rained in Summer?'
'I think so. Where is the 'on' button for this caterpillar?'
'Oh wait! I think you have to put it in the puddle and rescue it. Hang on. Let's see what the instructions say...'
'I've got it! You roll up the puddle, put the caterpillar on the ground and then unroll the puddle on top of it.'
'Like it just suddenly rained!'
'Wow! Imagine not knowing it is going to rain. How did caterpillars ever survive? Turn it on.'
'Ready?'
'No, wait. We've got to hang these clouds up. We gotta make the picture look realistic!'
'But then there will be no light reflected from the puddle.'
'That's what the boxes of sunshine are for! Put the caterpillar there. Oh No, there's a fly; chase it away. Our poor grandparents!'
Later, they might go to my museum where they can see an old crisp packet with mud on it, and a Coca-Cola ring pull that hit someone on their ear.
The tab can be broken from the ring, turned 90 degrees and pushed into one of the little slots either side of where the tab was attached to the ring. When the ring is pulled back and released the tension in the tab launches the ring up to 30 feet or ten metres.