Friday, March 09, 2012

Invisible Touch

One of NaBloMo's prompts this week was would you rather have the ability to fly or to be invisible.
This American Life did a segment on this same subject. Some guy used it as an ice breaker at parties. What he found wasn't unanimous desire for one ability over the other but that people overwhelmingly said they would use their powers for trivial things, spying on co-workers, avoiding rush-hour traffic; no one was moved to use their powers for any greater good such as apprehending criminals or getting kittens down from trees.
For kids I would think invisibility would be the greater draw.
You could ease drop sure but you could also trip bullies on the bus, sneak into the movie theater to see R rated films, hide out in the library or the museum of natural history until after it closed and then spend the night among the exhibits or with the penguins.
Elementary school kids could find out what their teacher does after you've left school or check out the teacher's lounge.
You could crawl under desks and tie your friend's shoelaces to each other. No one would have to see you change into your gym clothes. You could sneak in beside the lunch ladies and help yourself to an extra slice of pizza on Fridays.
At home you could disappear just before dinner tasks get assigned and reappear after the table's been set.
You'd be able to check out your brother's cool model helicopter, the one he told you never to touch though if you broke it, somehow your parent's would still know it was you.
You could be pen pals with Harry Potter, Bilbo, and Frodo and other mythical folks who've had brushes with invisibility.
For kids, the possibilities are limitless.
As a middle-aged mostly stay at home mom, I already suffer from being invisible, and flying wouldn't do me much good unless I could take my four kids, and the beach towels, and the snacks, and the bikes along too. Guess it would be better if I could make the mini van fly instead of me, sort of a modernized Chitty Chitty Bang Bang.

song: Invisible Touch • artist: Genesis

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