Joy in the Journey - Silly Band-Itis
Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Joy in the Journey is published by Graphic Publications and appears in The Bargain Hunter and Wooster Weekly News each week.

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Silly Band-Itis

Sometimes things just don’t make sense. Take, for instance, pet rocks. I know this dates me, but I remember a time when pet rocks were a huge deal. As a little girl I had a Mrs. Beasely doll whom I loved and adored. She had eye glasses and gray hair, a polka dot dress and a smile.

Then there were Cabbage Patch dolls, the ugliest dolls in history with squashed faces and scrunched noses. I never got into those. And of course, as a mom, I have survived the Tickle Me Elmo Craze and the Wii Phase.


And now, I am in the midst of silly band-itis.


If you do not yet know what silly bands are, count yourself as one of the lucky ones.


They are, in fact, a truly simple invention that has made someone somewhere a boatload of money. They are colored rubber bands that form a specific shape when not on your wrist. Some even glow in the dark.


They come in sets. You can buy animal sets, with dogs, cats, bunnies and zebras. You can get sports sets, including baseball bats, ball gloves and hockey sticks. You can even find Christian sets with crosses, Bibles, angels and doves.


I have heard of wearing your heart of your sleeve, this is like wearing your life on your wrist. Whatever you like to do, whatever you want to be known for, I am sure they make a silly band set just for you.


But I think they might be missing something. Silly bands seem to only be targeted for kids. What about grown ups?


Remember in the Christmas movie, It’s a Wonderful Life, when George Bailey’s uncle, the forgetful one, keeps tying strings on his fingers so he might remember what it is he is supposed to remember.


Well, imagine what we could do with silly bands.


I could get the mom set, including silly bands in the shape of an alarm clock, a minivan, a grocery bag, a vacuum cleaner and a laundry basket.


I could get the working set including a desk, date book, a computer monitor, an iPad and Venti iced peppermint mocha from Starbucks with whip cream and a drizzle of chocolate syrup.


The yard work set might include a lawn mower, garden hoe, weed wacker, flowers and yes, even weeds to pull.


Oh, the sets we could create.


And, you could mix and match your grown up silly bands to (wait for it) remember to get done what you need to get done. I can wear everything on my to-do list on my wrist, and the crucial things could even glow in the dark. Just imagine the possibilities.


So on a busy day, I could get up (only because I have the alarm clock silly band on my wrist), wash a load of laundry or two, carpool my daughter to basketball practice and stop at the grocery store on my way home.


A quick drive through Starbucks, a trip to the office to work for an hour, and home to face the weeds in my garden.


Ok, so it may not be perfect, but I would be fun.


Yep, I think I have caught silly band-itis. Stay back; don’t get too close to the newspaper because it might be contagious.


Catch up with Trish at www.TrishBerg.com. Follow her on Twitter, or become her Facebook friend.

Posted by Trish Berg 5:00 AM  

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3 Comments:

  1. Karen said...
    5:37 AM  
    I wonder if they do make them for adults. I've actually seen a few wearing them. Hmmmm.
    Bits-n-Pieces said...
    6:46 AM  
    Luckily, my nearly 11 yr old has not discovered these yet...or at least has not seen them being worn by her friends yet and asked for them. Could be a whole 'nother story when school starts back!
    Jen said...
    9:17 AM  
    I bought a reptile set for me and a pirate set for Dad- they are a little tight, though. Why? To trade with the kids and just to make them smile! :)

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