Don't Be A Donkey

To my son Tommy,

I spend my commute time thinking of things that should be and listening to public radio or lately Christmas tunes.  This trip home was spent pondering if a wifi or bluetooth enabled measuring tape would be useful, all while singing Dominick the Italian Christmas Donkey.  I first pictured a regular tape measure that with a press of a button sends its current measurement to an ipad app.  Then I thought maybe it should be one of those laser tape measures.  Then I thought the laser tape measure could connect to the tablet or phone.  Then I thought perhaps the gyroscope and other internal gadgets of the ipad or iphone might be able to take the actual measurement through the camera and some math and geometry equations.  Then I figured somebody had to have already created this and even if they hadn't I might be a little short on the technical prowess in either of the phases I imagined.  I knew I was short on time to devote to outside projects, so the whole idea ended up filed away under "another time" in the corner of my mind.  Back to singing..."Jing a da jing..heehaw heehaw...."

I wonder how many ideas never see the light of day because people think like this.  I wonder how many I have processed myself in the thirty minute commute and discarded into the recesses of my grey matter to gather cobwebs.  It isn't till I see some other company bring out some cheap imitation of MY idea and screw it all up, that I remember I did nothing with my idea.

My advice to you, don't let other people screw up ideas floating in your mind.  Take them, run with them, and screw them up all on your own.  By at least attempting the project or idea, you won't be as much of a donkey as your old man tends to be.  Who knows, one idea might work and in the future when we walk into a room, our phones will automatically measure and document everything in the room without even having to push a button.

Sincerely with love from your dad,
Leo