The power of tools

As readers of this blog well know, we NEVER engage in generalizations of any sort in posts here. This of course does not apply to men, about whom we engage in generalizations quite often.

It is well known, for example, that there exists a natural affinity between many men and all things electrical. If something whirrs, buzzes, or hums, they will want it. They will also, despite having survived quite well until the present without whatever it is, declare that it is needed. 

This fascination is thriving at our own house presently. In the span of a few months we have acquired a new vacuum, electric toothbrushes, and a blender. It is true that the latter was technically a gift for me from a relative, but thus far it has been used solely by the Hero. The new vacuum, too, is his domain, and its purchase was in fact initiated by him, I having been entirely satisfied with the one we already have.

"This one is a lot lighter," he explained of the new vacuum. "So it'll be easier to use, and we'll use it more often."

Why we might want to vacuum more often was not explained. The fact that the present machine is very heavy offers a perfect excuse for not vacuuming. But there seems to be a strong bond between the Hero and the new vacuum, so who am I to discourage that?

If there was a decent electric pet on the market, the Hero would buy that, too. Somehow he would figure out how to get the pet and the vacuum to work in concert, so that wherever the pet went the vacuum would follow along behind, automatically picking up any surprises the pet might leave in its wake.

It appears sometimes, although this could be my imagination, that issues suddenly arise that have never arisen before, and the obvious solution to them is: a new electrical gadget. For example, ordinary washcloths, the Hero recently noted, may not be getting our skin as clean as it could be. Even scrubbies may not be the best thing to use for this purpose. Possibly there is something else, the Hero suggested, that could do the job much better:

"Maybe I need a power tool."