It Felt Smooth in My Hand

As I picked up the item, I noticed how good it felt in my hand. The weight was substantial, the surface was smooth and the material was clearer than crystal. And I put it in the trash container – it had served it’s intended purpose and now it was following it’s planned life cycle. It was a food container that had held a fresh fruit salad and had a life cycle of a few days.
I remembered the conversation from “The Graduate.”
Mr. McGuire: I want to say one word to you. Just one word.
Benjamin: Yes, sir.
Mr. McGuire: Are you listening?
Benjamin: Yes, I am.
Mr. McGuire: Plastics.
Benjamin: Just how do you mean that, sir?
That may have been one of the exchanges that led to the derision and ridicule of plastics. I’m not interested in the utility or the ubiquity of plastics or of our dependency on the extremely wide forms in which they are a part of our daily lives. ( If you have ever been to a museum that displayed products made of Bakelite, or if you are fortunate enough to be old enough to have used those products, you can gain an inkling of life before plastics.)
Somehow, while I wasn’t paying attention, plastics have emerged as an art form, but an art form in daily use. The first inkling that I had missed this transition came as I unpacked a new electronic device. The feel of the connector cords has changed; no longer are they cold, hard and black they are soft, supple, warm and with a surface that is almost silky, a truly wonderful tactile sensation. How can I relive that, expand that sensation.
Then I began to pay attention to other plastic items. Some of the best reds in the visual universe are found in plastics. It is the red of rubies, but lighter and more vivid. There is a fire that is only to be found in the most expensive and most rare jewels. The same is true of greens. The purity and transparency seem to be plucked from a rainbow. The blues are rich, pure and deep, better than the Blue Grotto except on a truly miraculous day. And the clears are pristine, the facets reflect with perfection approaching that of a diamond and they can be made to hold any surface from brilliant through matte to opaque.
For me, discovering a new source of beauty is a rich and wonderful experience. When I look at the ground in an urban environment and see a small shard of plastic, I see it with contempt and feel cheated that it is not a precious jewel, perhaps I can change that.