We were finishing up dinner when our local evening news came on, teasing us with the lead stories of the day; weather, politics, human interest, crime. Then, there was the lovely anchor talking about Bubble Wrap as she sat in her chair popping a sheet of it. She even shared bubbled sheets of plastic with her co-anchor, weatherman, and sports reporter. There they sat in their newsy chairs, looking not up at the cameras but down at the Bubble Wrap, twisting and popping it.
Isn’t that what we all do when Bubble Wrap is around?
The anchor announced in her very best anchor voice that today, January 30, 2012, is Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day!
One year, I actually wrapped our nephew’s present with Bubble Wrap. He loved it! I don’t think he even knew what his present was. He sat and he popped each little pillow of wrap. We’ve been known to parcel it out, much like the news anchor: a piece for you, a piece for me, a piece for the kids . . .
. . . it’s hard to resist Bubble Wrap, isn’t it? You take the wrap off of the package that just arrived via post and you set it aside, admiring whatever was inside. Then, you fold the wrap up, push it aside, toss it to the floor. Wherever it goes, eventually it lands in your hands where you must pop just one pop, then two, then a whole strings of pops, hoping no one else hears and you have to share.
As I understand it, this packing material, first used by IBM and now by just about everyone wishing to send something somewhere, was developed in that most hallowed of places – the garage! Whether inventing technology, rocking up a band, or making packing material, it seems that a lot of today’s inventions come out of the garage!
So, today is Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day and you can find out more about it here.
Makes me want to go buy a roll!
image from Google
Mindless, silly FUN that stuff! Love playing with it, but I think I’ll reserve that for what arrives here in some shipment or another, and invest my pennies in more…… I know, more BOOKS!
You’ve said it perfectly, Karen. Yes. Get more books, and you can use the Bubble Wrap that comes with and pop away as you read.
I know exactly what you mean! I had to stop children in the family from popping all the bubble wrap and destroying the bubbles – but it is irresistible. I use if for packaging my books before posting them off and can’t imagine being without it.
I can only imagine how hard that must be to stop all the children from popping the wrap, Juliet. It is hard not to pop just one bubble, and then, well, it is hard to stop.
What a fun recognition! I would have gone the whole year and missed Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day! It is indeed funny how once you start popping, it’s hard to stop. This is kind of sad, I guess, but my friend’s father had Alzheimer’s and near the end they could give him bubble wrap and it kept him occupied. He somehow knew/remembered what to do with it and it was a very comforting activity. What creative wrapping paper, Penny! Love that! Debra
Now you know, Debra. Ha!
I’m sorry about your friends father. Alzheimer’s is such a devastating illness, but, how interesting to hear that the bubble wrap worked so effectively in keeping him occupied. In a strange way, it is comforting and stress releasing to pop bubble wrap, and the repetitiveness of it gave him some calmness.
Try it. Little kids, and their adult counterparts, love it. I didn’t buy the bubble wrap to use as wrapping paper. I just used some that came with a package.
I love popping bubble wrap too, but only when DH isn’t around. He likes to save it for the next time he has to pack a parcel. It must be the Scot in him that makes him quite so thrifty.
Thriftiness is good and I reuse the bubble wrap that comes this way, too – as long as I show some self-control. tee hee Enjoy your next parcel, Perpetua.
Bubble wrap….what fun! We always reuse bubble wrap that comes in packages. There used to be a website that was virtual bubble wrap. You could pop it with your cursor. It was kind of fun, but not nearly as satisfying as the real thing. Sadly, I have noticed that things are coming wrapped in those pillow things. It is like a series of Ziplock bags. You can still pop them, but two pops and they are done.
Oh, I remember that website. I’m sure one of the girls found it or knew about or whatever and it was fun hearing it pop on the computer screen. I’d forgotten that, though you are so correct in saying it wasn’t as much fun as the real thing. I’ve noticed those pillow wrap things more as well, Janet. Soon, we’ll all be squirreling away our bubble wrap. tee hee
I’m addicted to the stuff
A friend from school gave me a load which wrapped the school’s computers in transit and I have a film of Mad, Fe, Big Al and his sisters all jumping up and down on it with such abandon! Priceless!
What a fabulous post. Perfect now I’m in the mood for winding down. Hope that tooth is behaving.
How fun that must have been, Kate, and to have it on film for all time, even more so!
Thank you. I’m glad to hear you are winding down and hope the “inspection” went well and is soon behind everyone. The root canal was no big deal yesterday and I’m feeling pretty good. Thanks for asking, dear Kate.
Bubble Wrap Appreciation Day. I’m sorry I missed it. Perhaps it’s not too late to pop some wrap in celebration. Love the (unintentional?) pun: “We’ve been known to parcel it out.”
I think it could be considered a week long celebration, Teresa. Go ahead. Find some bubble wrap and have some fun. Thanks for noticing the parceled pun.
Pop, pop, pop……:)
Now, wasn’t that fun? tee hee
Ah, bubble wrap. I just bought a massive box of it for packing and moving, and it was all I could do not to unroll the long ribbon of it on the driveway and jump on it.
happy post. Hope all is well with the mouth.
Wouldn’t that be grand fun, Andra? Jumping on it or riding a bike over it? tee hee My mouth is so much better, thank you. Good luck with all that packing.
Oh no I can’t believe I missed Bubble Wrap Day by 2 days!
Not too late, Janet. You can still have a belated Bubble Wrap Day.
Dear Penny,
I think we need to title this posting “Ode to Bubble Wrap.” I loved it. I have a whole box of it out in the garage awaiting books and gifts to wrap and send to others. And of course, each time I do that, I pop a few bubbles!
Peace.
I love it, Dee! I’m going to change it right now. It’s a perfect title. Thank you.
Enjoy sending off all those books (yours, I’m sure) and other things, and don’t forget to pop a few of those bubbles.