It Has Finally Happened, I Defended The Old Fashioned

My son is going to be 12 this year and I am not sure how that happened. No silly, I understand how it happened, but when did the baby become 12?

Yesterday we stopped off at Safeway for a an onion and some bread, what you don't stop and buy an onion and some bread? Anyway, we grab up the produce we need and the bread; we are now meandering through the store for nothing in particular (and I wonder why the kids hate going shopping-HA). I have to walk the length of the store, ya never know what might be on sale! But I digress. We are walking down the condiment aisle and my son points out to his sister (9), with great enthusiasm, "Look, they have old fashioned ketchup! The kind in the glass bottle!"

They stare and ogle this incredibly foreign container through which every kid's favorite dipping sauce/spaghetti sauce/fry topping/overall simple addition to any meal is displayed. After some very poignant conversation regarding the ketchups usefulness it is declared the "old fashioned" glass bottle is useless. I even believe the word hate was used.

The next course of events could have been somewhat out of body. I began to defend the glass bottle as if I were the inventor. Like some how my personal worth was tied to the glass ketchup bottle's acceptance. I begin to explain the glass bottle gets a raw deal because people don't know how to use it. I try and give them a physics lesson as we walk to find a register to pay for our things. I explain that the "secret" to glass bottles is NOT to tap the bottom of the bottle, but to tap the side of the bottle. With wonder and amazement, or perhaps a feeling of what the heck is this old guy talking about, my children listen in awe. I am going with awe for my own peace of mind. I continue my Physics 101 class, by tapping the side of the glass you are moving the ketchup to the side of the bottle allowing air to move up the bottle away from the opening and using gravity to push down on the ketchup. By tapping the top of the bottle you are pushing to opposing forces together, eventually the ketchup will come out but because your force is greater than the other two, but it can result in an 'explosion' of sorts.

Worst part, I would never buy a glass bottle of ketchup!!! I have to laugh. Kids are funny creature. They change your World so immeasurably it is astonishing.

Do I think I swayed their minds, nope! But I think I crossed a line I can't return from. I find comfort in things from years past even if I don't have a vested interest. I guess I ask myself does this make me old? I don't think so, but it was sure funny.

My Two Cents

Jamie