A few months ago we went four wheel driving. Long story short, one of the cars got bogged on the beach. They slowed down in the sand when they should have gunned it.
The blokes begun digging the sand from under the wheels. I asked whether they wanted the rubber mats out of the car to put under the wheels. No brainer.
"No", was the answer I got. They tried reversing out, bogged again.
The tide came closer to the car, and still they were trying to dig around the wheels. Things seemed a bit hopeless when I took things into my own hands.
I took the two rubber floor mats from the front of our car and put them behind the back wheels of the bogged car. I grabbed the sun visor from the boot and laid it out behind the passenger side front wheel. While I was walking back out the way, the car had reversed out of the bog and was off again. I looked at my friend, a young girl and clued her in, "It takes a woman Dene. It takes a woman".
It makes me ponder, whether primitive man actually invented fire. I think, after primitive man dumped a dinosaur carcass on the ground and grunted something translating to, "Cook me a steak Bitch", bitch got busy inventing fire. Much to woman's amusement, man choked on steak and the flame grilled BBQ was born.
You may be surprised, or then again, not really, at the ingenuity and inventiveness of women. Take Josephine Cochrane for example. In 1889, Josephine invented the first dishwasher. All hail to Josephine.
A couple of years later, Catherine Deiner made the first rolling pin. Her husband must have been really bad, or she just needed to make some pie.
A year after that in 1892, Sarah Boone had a lightbulb go off in her head and invented the ironing board. Why Sarah, Why?!
Only yesterday, I had the pleasure of passing a street sweeping machine in my car. I smiled a smug smile and motioned with a nod, to my girls. "You see that. A woman invented that". Clean streets, all thanks to the inventiveness of Florence Parpart, in 1900. Fourteen years later she also invented the first electric refrigerator! Go Flo!
In 1903, a clever clogs named Mary Anderson invented the first working windshield wipers. Mind you all the while her husband was probably saying "What are you doing you stupid woman?". I can just see him driving along, running all and sundry off the road with his head sticking out the window in the rain. All the while in fast forward and with that silly music of silent film era. Good onya Mary.
There are so many more who made their mark, and we reap the benefits today. Ida Forbes who made the first electric hot water system in 1917. Marion Donovan who invented the disposable nappy in 1950. THANKYOU ladies!
There may have been SO many more female inventors kicking arse pre 1890s. Patents were not allowed to be taken out by females before then, as they had no claim to possessions. A patent was deemed as a possession, and therefore most were taken out in their husband or fathers names.
When my sister was about 17, I remember her saying someone should invent an electric blanket that is a fitted sheet. She should have run with it.
Thought of any great inventions lately?
Had any light bulb moments?