The phones in our pockets, and the apps on those phones. How did it come to this?
Well, of course, it started way back when, with the invention of the telephone. That is when this entire scheme was spawned. But, contrary to popular belief, Alexander Graham Bell was not the true inventor of the phone.
Antonio Meucci was the guy. He was an Italian immigrant. And Antonio — I bet his friends called him Tony — began developing the design of a talking telegraph or telephone in 1849.
He finally worked out all the good details. The final product. And, in 1871, he filed a caveat patent. That is sort of an announcement of an invention. But Tony did not have any money. He was as poor as they came.
As a result, Meucci could not renew his caveat patent. And Mr. Alexander Graham Bell was there to snatch it up. Snatch, he did. So Tony was high and dry. His role in the invention of the telephone was completely overlooked. And certainly not compensated. As a buffer, the United States House of Representatives passed a Resolution on June 11, 2002, honoring Meucci’s contributions and work.
I would say Meucci didn’t notice by that point.
But now, we don’t need those traditional lines. We carry around our phones in our pockets. Cellularly. Just yesterday, I said to someone, “I don’t know how I managed my life before my Smart Phone.” It has most all the things I need to know.
Of course, the big assistants are the apps. Our phones do WAY more than letting our fingers do the walking. We all know how it goes. Apps for everything. Address books, weather, maps, photo editors, games, and on. Cooking, praying, and following football. An app for every need.
On this day, I was unsure what I would write about. Well, it looks like I already have a jump on things, before consulting an app. However, I DO have an app that will give you writing prompts in the way of a couple of phrases. You just roll out the little button, and before you know it, a combination of words appear. Viola’. The writing prompt.
I never use this app. The phrases are always goofy. But today, I have committed to it. I will write this blog about the first phrase that spins out. Here goes.
rich hares for breakfast
When I was in grade school, specifically, the third grade, there was a kid in my class named Lem Gray. Lem was short for Lemeul. It sounds better than calling your kid Mule, for short. Anyway, Lem was nice enough. But he was a head shorter than anyone else in the class. And, he always wore very expensive knickers. No one, and I mean no one else wore knickers. In fact, Lem was so short, they almost reached his ankles anyway. Despite these two challenges, short with knickers, he was pretty nice. And always clean. The kid almost glowed, he was so bathed and groomed.
About midway through the year, he invited me to his house after school. He lived in a part of town that I had never visited before. He was on the top of the hill on Siebenthaler Drive, in a sublet. Our neighborhood was way down the hill. Way down the hill. I guess that was the proverbial train tracks.
At any rate, on our way there, he said we were going to visit his 39 rabbits. They were Plush Lop Rabbits, which were born in Australia, but moved to Russia, and now, his father had brought them here, for Lem, to the United States.
Lem said to me, “Let’s feed those bunnies. They’ve had their breakfast, but it is time for lunch.”
We fed them carrots. Those Loppy Australian Russian Rabbits. And then I went home.
Years later, I noticed the New York Time’s best seller list. There as Lem Gray, at #3. The title of his book was “Rich Hares for Breakfast: How to live a meaningful life when you are short and clean.”
I’ll tell you.
People will read just about ANYTHING.
Like this.
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“Owl,” said Rabbit shortly, “you and I have brains. The others have fluff. If there is any thinking to be done in this Forest–and when I say thinking I mean thinking–you and I must do it.”
― A.A. Milne, The House at Pooh Corner
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“A reader lives a thousand lives before he dies, said Jojen. The man who never reads lives only one.”
― George R.R. Martin, A Dance with Dragons
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“Books are a uniquely portable magic.”
― Stephen King
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