Blog 2467 – 07.27.2022
The Little Swiss Army Knife or Following The Thread
I carry and have for many years in my pants pocket on my key ring a small Swiss Army Knife. It is their smallest version with a small knife blade a nail-file with a flat tipped screw drive tip that is small enough to also work for most cross-tip or Phillip-head screws. This handy tool also has a small scissor and a plastic tooth pick and a small but very good tweezer in the handle. The little knife has become an indispensable tool to me. I used to carry one loose in my pocket, but have lost so many that I finally started putting it on my key ring. They come with a small key ring attached for just that purpose.
It is no surprise how often it comes in handy. For years after 9/11 I had many of the little knife confiscated by TSA or other gate security people as if the little two inch blade were some kind of great threat. You may be wondering where this is headed. I thank you for your patience.
I was thinking about the many time that I have pulled a thread only to ruin a seam or unravel the sleeve of a sweater. Pulling a loose thread is always a temptation or at least it was for me till I started carrying the above mentioned brand of pocket knife with the small scissors folded opposite the blade and nail-file/screw driver attachment. Still cutting a thread, though less damaging to garments, leaves us wondering just where that thread might have lead.
Many a morning these last seven plus years I have stared at a blank white screen searching my heart and mind for a loose thread that I might pull to unravel for myself and you my family and friends a little bit more of life’s wonderful mystery or at the very least entertain and distract myself and you for a few moments hopefully with an encouraging word or two thrown in to boot.
The smallest Swiss Army Knife comes in the standard red like the one pictured above. I have carried a black one for some time but keep a red one and a purple one for spares in case I lose the tweezers or tooth-pick, break the scissors, or the blade gets broken or bent. A good scout is always prepared as is a handyman and I consider by self both as well as…
Your friend and fellow traveler,
David White
Handyman
theencouragingword 