It seems fitting somehow that I am writing this on “Star Wars Day”, because I was reminded this morning of another set of little aliens that burst onto British TV screens during the 1970″s. The “Smash” aliens featured in a commercial about instant mashed potato “Smash” , in which the little tin aliens shrieked with laughter at the thought of all the earthlings who had to peel potatoes, boil them and then manually mash them…..rather than just add water to a packet of “Smash”.
The commercial was extremely funny and went on to win a number of awards ( I’ve included a link to a video), and it seemed to spark a whole subset of the food industry that was dedicated to a range of instant products – instant soup, noodles, milk, eggs, cake mix……you name the food group, and there appeared a handy packet that just needed water or milk…..and voila! So much easier!
So why was I reminded of this commercial? Well over the last three years, my husband Bob and I have been dedicated to building a business…..we’ve developed a product, found a market, we’ve prototyped, tested, refined and finally reached a stage where our main client is testing the product, and we are just a stone’s throw from a purchase order.
It’s been a long process , and an expensive one. There have been stressful times, euphoric times, laughter, pride, passion….and yes, sometimes a few tears (me, not Bob). But not once did either of us consider giving up. We have had amazing support from friends and family.
But there have been many people who just didn’t get it ( and still don’t). As we struggled, they said “Why doesn’t Bob go back commercial fishing?”….”Just get a job, life would be easier”
Yes, of course life would be easier if we had a steady pay check. Easier.
“Easier” is a seductive concept. In the 1970’s we were seduced by funny friendly aliens who promised us “easier” mashed potato. We added boiling water and whisked them up……they were a bit salty, a bit powdery, they looked like mashed potato, but the texture was wrong, and they had a strange synthetic taste…….we traded quality for convenience, and paid for it with taste.
Just as the “instant food” industry presented us with easier choices, we also have life choices presented to us everyday.
Bob and I could have chosen “easier”. But our life (like those instant mashed potatoes) would have looked similar, but would feel a little “off” and taste a little synthetic…
