Defeated By Plastic Packaging and Seeking
Therapy
I have a brilliant idea because I am certain there are
other shoppers like me that don’t want to risk their fingers slicing and dicing
through molded plastic to open a package.
There should be special containers for people who simply want to rip
open the product they purchased, no muss no fuss, no bloody hands or more
importantly not go mad in the process. I
appreciate the skilled men and women who have studied product design and pride
themselves on the ability to find a way to make plastic packages secure with
tightly folded and molded corners but I think they do this to make me seek
counseling.
Last Sunday morning which is my time to relax, read the paper
and calmly drink coffee I decided to put up a shower curtain. A very simple task I thought. Now
irrespective of risking my life by putting a stool in the tub so I could reach the
curtain bar I had to open a hermetically sealed package of rings. It was closed so tightly that I had to get
down from my teetering stool to try and open it. I was ripping and tearing and bending corners
but the plastic didn’t budge. I fought
harder to perforate the packaging and at the last minute had to stop myself
from a giant dental bill by using my teeth to lift up one corner. I resorted to screaming and throwing the
package against the wall and although it was cathartic nothing came apart.
With tears in my eyes I headed for the kitchen and grabbed
a serrated knife. I madly sawed through
the package and a little of my thumb. Was
this a joke played on me by the god of domestic chores, who I was certain was
resting, reading and drinking coffee because it was Sunday? I gathered myself
together and tried to remember all my years of therapy in order to stop crying.
Slowly with sweaty hands and bleeding finger I loosened each curtain hook from
the plastic molding. At last victory was
mine and I had eight rings freed from the package.
I threw away the mess I had made, bandaged my bleeding
thumb but no longer wanted a shower curtain or even to ever shower again.
