Perspectives

If I were asked to select only one occupation to represent all occupations that have outlived their intended purposes, it would be an easy decision. The hands-down winner of the coveted Brass Butt-Nugget Award would be the world's packaging engineers.

A few years ago, I installed a small playground near my island home for my grandkids. Some of them have now outgrown the swings and slides, but I still like to keep the area looking nice. For beauty's sake, I have planted some rhododendra, hydrangea, rose of Sharon and shrubby St. John's wart in the vicinity.

Part of what I like about writing this column is that I get to research subjects I don't know about, or at least don't know enough about. Despite writing more than 200 columns during the last 10 years or so, it has never been difficult to find a topic. My favorite way to land on a topic is to be introduced to it by a reader of my writing.

In February 1976, I lucked into an assignment in Australia for Eastman Kodak. En route, I stopped in Auckland, New Zealand, to visit the local operations. My host invited me to sail in the harbor, with plans for a swim and a cookout. The swim was abruptly canceled when we looked overboard to see the water covered with thousands of moon jellyfish.