drillpress
In Mysterious Money, I promised to tell the story of “The Drillpress” in which I would illustrate how we can change the past as easily as the future. Today I will tell the story, a trivial tale with grander implications. I shall attempt to relate an incident where reality changed on a daily basis.
drillpressOne late March day (the 25th to be exact), I happened to be in the welding shop of the company in which I had been employed for the past six months. Observing a drillpress there, I recalled that one had been ordered. This would eliminate frequent treks by the welder to the machine shop. Upon closer inspection, I noticed that this tool was nearly identical to one I had previously owned. It was identical except having larger balls on the quill feed handle.
Arriving at home on that Saturday afternoon, I quickly told Sweet Mom of my discovery.
The following Monday, I told a coworker of my find. He told me that the new drillpress was in the machine shop and the welding shop had inherited the old one. This made no sense at all. Occasionally I had used this one and had seen no similarity. At this point, all I could recall of the old tool was that it had two locking screws on the belt tension. Mine had only one. Rushing to the welding shop, I discovered two locking screws. Now the drillpress appeared as mine except larger balls and two locking screws.
This was quite perplexing as I would recognize my tools as most would know their own phone number. Each day I would check the drillpress and each day I discovered more differences.
In the end this drillpress had only a slight resemblance to mine. Each day my perception would evolve to bring rationality to my observations. Now I realize that I was wrong. This tool never looked like mine. But, deep inside, I know the truth.
When, by accident, we notice these little bloopers, we just correct the error and restore order to our perceived universe.
©09/27/08
