I happened to catch one of the episodes of Frasier the other night. That’s not hard to do considering how much they rerun the old sitcoms. Frasier was always a favorite because the characters were kooky, and the writing was very clever. This episode was one of the earliest about Frasier’s dad moving into his apartment and bringing his chair along and his dog Eddie. The old unattractive chair was a real fixture in the series and a thorn in Frasier’s side for the entire run of the show’s 11 years.
Watching the episode reminded me how we could become attached to one item in our lives. We can't throw out a comfy pair of shoes even if the soles are wearing them, an old bathrobe that has seen better days, a cooking pot that you had when you first set up housekeeping. That same degree of attachment and sentiment can apply to one of the tools you couldn’t live without on the job. Over the years, new, improved versions may come out, but still, you won’t part with that one tool for anything.
In my case, while I don’t have one particular item, I have an unwavering attachment to food jars for mixing new products when I’m starting to test ingredients. It all started when I made my first creams in my kitchen for nearly 30 years. I guess it makes sense that I would use what I had around the house for what I thought would be my own personal skincare products.
But as the years went on and the business grew, food jars continued to be my preference for experimentation. I like the variety of sizes and the ability to easily see how the product shapes texture, thickness, and consistency. I’m particularly fond of jelly and spaghetti jars. Naturally, the jars are highly sanitized before I use them. I also realize that the jars take me back to the beginning of BIOTONE. While the present continues to be exciting, I have many fond memories of the early days when the business was getting off the ground.
I was reminded that I’m not alone in my sentimental attachment to my trade's original tools. I recently had work done around the house. The painter I hired told me that the putty knife he used was 35 years old and he’d feel lost without it.
Do you, too, have a favorite tool that you’ve had for years and refuse to part with for sentimental reasons, not just because they don’t make them like they used to? I’d love to hear about it.