Buttons

What is the allure of a shiny round button that says "push?" Or the attraction of soft, plastic, arrows that light up when pressed, that have the power to bring an elevator up or down? Watch any child excitedly walking onto the elevator who has been given the privilege of seleting the floor. She will understand. Truth be told, if allowed, she'd press every single one of those buttons again and again. Watch two children race to the street corner to see who can reach the walk button first. It will not be good enough for the loser to press it after he's been beaten. Quite possibly, the mother will have to wait through an entire light cycle to calm the crying child who didn't get the privilege of pressing the button first.

Why do adults press the same button repeatedly? Intellectually they know that only one push is required to trigger a response. Push! Push! Push! In their rush, do they really believe the elevator will move faster if they push it 6 times? Possibly there is an elf inside, manning the pushes. Gosh, this man must be in a hurry. Four pushes, I'll speed the elevator up just for him. In all reality, the elf is probably saying, "Nope! Ten pushes is way too many. That woman needs to learn some patience. Hold the elevator on the 5th floor for at least another minute or so."

Okay, I admit it. Once or twice I've double-pushed, just in case it didn't register the first time. The other day I beat a kid to the elevator button. I deleriously watched the 3 light up. The kid went to push the button. "No honey, we are going to the 3rd floor too." His hand dropped. his face fell. He looked dejectedly at the floor. I felt a little guilty. I hadn't really meant to beat him. There's just something about pushing the button.

Can you believe it? I have this in my car:
A bright red button! Who could resist this beauty?

I guess it shouldn't surprise me, that my daughter, Elisabeth, cannot resist the secret beckoning of a button. I hung one of these in the shower: If you've never seen this product it is an automatic shower cleaner. How cool is that? Before exiting the shower, you press the button. It beeps 10 or so times to let you know it has been activated. It then sprays your entire shower with cleaner, to keep your shower sparkling clean. Now if you are Elisabeth, and see this blue button while you are showering, you will not be able to resist pushing it. Right there in the middle of your shower you will press it. Your music will be loudly playing and at first you won't hear the beep, beep. You will wonder why it didn't do anything and you will press it again. Then, without warning, apple-scented cleaner will squirt you in the eye. Around and around it will go, until it has sprayed your entire body. When you finally recover, and are out of the shower, you will inquire of your mother, "what-in-the-world is that spray-thingy in the shower and why didn't you warn me?"