Thousands of years passed between the first use of iron tools and the accidental discovery of steel before the steel industry transformed daily life in the mid-1800s. Close to a hundred years elapsed from Robert Fulton’s first commercial steamboat launch in 1807 until the first diesel boat debuted in 1903. That same year, Orville Wright flew 120 feet, yet only twelve years later, airplanes were a major factor in World War One. Time, it seems, is speeding up.
So, when writing about a phenomenon of the 1950s and 1960s, I’m tempted to begin with, “Once upon a time, a long, long time ago…” That period popularized the Tupperware party. In those days, before women were “liberated” so that they could leave home for the workplace every morning and not return until evening, ordinary, middle-class women sometimes gathered with neighbors and friends to play games, enjoy snacks, and buy plastic storage containers manufactured by the Tupperware company. Instead of spending time hyper-focused on a hand-held device, perhaps popping virtual bubbles for entertainment, women sat together and practiced burping Tupperware lids. Just as an infant’s burp signified the expelling of extra air, the burp let you know that your receptacle was properly sealed. Women must have been easier to please back then.
When a modern four-year-old is puzzled by a retelling of Hansel and Gretel and interrupts the reading to ask, “Why didn’t they just use Waze?” it reflects how quickly expectations shift. I will remind you that even with the opening of the Container Store in 1978, Tupperware parties were still around in the 1980s and 1990s. Why didn’t women just order containers online? For the same reason that Hansel and Gretel didn’t use Waze—the option didn’t exist.
This explains the ten-pound flour bins on my pantry shelf. While tidying last week, I was on the verge of retiring some containers because of cracked or torn lids. Then I remembered the phrase that accompanied every Tupperware purchase, lifetime guarantee. Was the company still in business? A quick online search revealed that Tupperware ladies still exist! One email exchange later and I am scheduled to pick up two free replacement lids by the time you read this Musing.
Sometimes I worry that my writings are full of complaints, pointing out where society falls short. I offer you this tale in the hope that a company’s standing by its commitment and providing stellar service lifts your spirits as it does mine.
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