Mankind’s Greatest Invention

Thor pondered for a few minutes. He warmed himself by the fire. He grunted and pointed to the rabbit stretched out on the stick as it lay balanced above the fire supported by two stacks of rocks on either side of the pit. Ona responded to the grunt and gesture. She walked over to the fire and turned the poor beast to cook on the other side.

 

Thor considered this and decided fire was the greatest invention of mankind. Then he considered the spear he held in his right hand. That was a close second. The carved out chunk of wood that lay near the cave entrance also was pretty useful. It collected the rain and saved many dangerous trips to the river.

 

He did not appreciate that Ona was busily creating what was to become the greatest invention of mankind. She stroked the ground repeatedly in one vertical motion. Thor chuckled to himself at this aimless activity. Although the “line” was more of an abstract idea, it soon found practical application.

 

Ona found it useful to order all food material in a line from freshest to oldest. The children all formed a line as they wandered in a tight group to the river. Even Thor had to admit that the drawings of boundaries, rivers and routes in the dirt made their world more manageable.

 

Today we under estimate the importance of the line. Of course, the line has been refined and now includes curves, squares, rectangles, spirals and even squiggles. Lines can be arranged to form art and written language. We also line up for food, money at the bank and medical care. Where would mankind be without the line? Chaos and confusion would reign and that would lead to our extinction.

 

Perhaps the greatest invention of mankind then is not fire, cars, rockets, antibiotics or French fries. The next time you look at a line in your floor tiles or stand in a line at the grocery store, give silent tribute to Ona for the greatest invention of mankind- the line.