Great Ideas and Inventions

Have you ever had an idea that was great in theory, but not practical in the real world? Or an invention that might work, but you lacked the resources to make it happen? I have, and I refer to these ideas collectively as my list of "Unfulfilled Great Ideas and Inventions."

Some of my ideas are corny, I’ll admit, but some are accepted pretty well in informal polls among acquaintances. Or perhaps some people are just in the habit of being rather kind to me.

For instance, a few years ago in a business class I was taking, we were to create a marketing plan for a new product we invented (or re-invented). I took a thermos and redesigned it into a "Ther-Must," a double-ended thermos complete with a storage compartment for condiments and utensils. I even designed a prototype of the Ther-Must, using some ordinary materials I had around the house. It was a hit! People liked the idea and thought the design was interesting. Some even admonished me to get a patent on it, suggesting my Ther-Must could be a successful product. Maybe so, I thought, but I didn’t have the resources at the time to make it happen. Who knows, maybe the Ther-Must will make its way to the shelf someday.

Another one of my ideas is a classics movie theater, where people can go see old movies on a big screen. Imagine going back in time watching "Gone with the Wind", "The Wizard of Oz", and "Psycho" comfortably in stadium seating with a real bucket of popcorn. Oh, and I’d also get rid of the ten minutes of commercials patrons are now forced to watch before seeing the movie they paid $7.50 for (without popcorn).

What about you? Do you have a list of Great Ideas and Inventions? If so, what are you going to do with them? •