Bitterly Wonderful

Where would the world be in the absence of glass and screen? How would we let light enter our homes in the absence of glass? Would we live closed off from the world, choosing darkness over exposure to weather and insects or would we tolerate what, today, seems intolerable? I am afraid I am among the many who don’t take enough time to think about the little things. The things that make my life far easier to endure than it would be in their absence. I don’t need to look to a supernatural being to thank for the invention of glass or screen. I don’t need to explore the history of glass and screen—to find a name to which to assign credit for their invention—to appreciate and be thankful for their existence. It’s enough to know that, at some time in the distant past, people had good ideas that impact my life today. That’s true not only of glass and screen, but rubber and sheetrock, ceramics and saws, food preservation and light bulbs; the list is endless. This morning, I am especially grateful that someone, at some time, decided that roasted and ground coffee beans, combined with water, would make a bitterly wonderful beverage. I am glad to be alive, though I wouldn’t know it if I weren’t.