When I'm Sharpening Pencils

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The other day I was sharpening pencils. It's something that I do very rarely but with all those HBs in a little rack near my desk looking terribly blunt, it was time. In a dose of nerdiness (not I stress to protect against amnesia) I had even added the task to my To Do List.

In any event, whilst I was turning the pencils to get the much needed points, I couldn't help but admire the simplicity of the sharpener, cast in shining metal with a replaceable blade, although whether you can actually buy replacement blades anywhere is of course another matter. Still the sharpener had a mark of solidity about it and best of all I could even understand how it works.

Everything comes with a detailed instruction manual these days and the array of buttons and programmes can sometimes be overwhelming. Now I might write To Do Lists but I certainly don't have the time in retirement to read and understand the handbook for every appliance that I use. Don't misinterpret what I am saying as I certainly am not planning on ditching my labour saving devices anytime soon, but nonetheless I do wish I could have the same degree of comprehension about the other gadgets in our home.

I confess therefore that I do sometimes look at the broom as an object of simple beauty and the vacuum cleaner, particularly when it refuses to pick up a visible item which I then have to bend over to remove by hand, as an object of frustration. If I wash a delicate piece of clothing by hand, I complete the task proud of my effort; when I use the washing machine and it beeps to tell me its cycle has finished, I am irritated. Am I getting old or am I taking my efforts at trying to live more simply too far? 


Comments

Jane said…
I read manuals only on an "as needed" basis. My eyes tend to cross when reading manuals and often the print requires a magnifying glass! I too appreciate a well-sharpened pencil for my weekly crossword puzzle and have one screwed to the wall in my workroom. Since that is in the basement I wait until every pencil is dull before venturing down the steps.
22 August 2018 at 16:36
Caree Risover said…
Oh yes, I think I understand how a magnifying glass works too!
23 August 2018 at 22:19
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