THE
MILK CONTAINER
When
considering a concept, probably nothing is as valuable as an
understanding of a real world physical object. A real world object
has density, mass, volume, area and as many varying materials of
construction as there are stars in the night sky. These items are
tangible, visual and recognizable. Items of the physical state will
occupy both space and possess measurable weight. The invention of the
milk container was a real piece of workable imagination and
ingenuity. It is simplistic, yet possess an importance that is
primarily due to it's innate practical usefulness. In general
containers house all manner of materials, liquids, powders, reactive
ingredients mixed with a vast variance of air molecules, which is
somewhat relative to the contained substance. For the sake of
discussion the container of concern in this article is one of the
world's master cooking ingredients, the famous milk container.
I
suppose that you could rightfully claim that I am slightly prejudiced
to write an opinion article about the container containing one of my
favorite liquid substances, milk. That lightly slimy, smooth yet
silky white stuff that comes from the moo of the animal kingdom, the
cow. Yummy cold with cookies or a Hershey's chocolate bar but not
really something that you crave if you're thirsty.
The product contained
in the milk container, namely milk is a highly complex biological
fluid which is high protein, high fat, sugar(lactose), a host of
minerals, vitamins and enzymes. Other than singing the praises of the
substance and it's container, I feel constrained of necessity to
explain some history of the container storing the essence of my
irrational obsession with milk. A short history of the evolving
technology regarding the container in question here may be of
interest. When I was a young boy, milk miraculously appeared on the
front porch steps of our home near Disneyland in Southern
California every other morning, like clock work. I was certain that
the milk fairy (or her equivalent) materialized onto our front porch steps
because everyone in the world knew how about my fascination with that
white healthy liquid. When we carried the milk into the kitchen it
was in an unusual container by today's standard, a smooth, thick, see
through glass bottle. The bottle was capped by a heavy waxed paper
material that acted as a seal which made the contents remain in the
bottle, but had little effect on the freshness of the milk. If you
remember those days, I feel sorry for you and I feel your pain, for
you see, I'm old too! All of that being said, as I grew-up milk could
be found in many various, inventive and impractical containers. Among
these were waxed paper containers, whose spouts were folded, pulled
outward and then spread out in order access the good stuff inside,
hopefully before it spoiled. The next Image here is a natural milk
container, it needs no improvements....
From
the messy waxed cartons with very short shelf life evolved the newer,
easier to store and keep plastic bottles with pop-off caps or
twist-off lids. Oh the good old days of convenience and an abundant
accessibility
to that old health-food commodity known as the chocolate chip
cookies' best taste enhancer, milk. Today we have plastic bottles
with twist on-off lids and paper cartons which tend to keep the
liquid treat inside fresh and tasty. The contents further are
usually able to withstand the carry-over refrigerator taste of
yesteryear, the half consumed peeled onion from a week or so ago.
Somehow it's still difficult to describe the taste but nearly
impossible to forget the flavor that was sure to take your breath
away with just a whiff, let alone a tasty gulp and whatever that was,
it didn't taste like milk at least, not the way it was intended.
Now
that I have nearly exhausted the subject of the history, evolution
and versatility of the milk container, it is imperative that I jump
right-in to the reason behind the close examination of this item
which is commonly recognized and or used today by almost everyone
alive on the planet. The reason for the elaborate evolution of the
milk container industry is not for the sake of the betterment of the
container it's self, but for it's contents. The same is a case in
point for the human body, it isn't the body that is of the most
importance in the grand scheme of life, but rather it's contents. The
content under discussion here is namely the spark of human
immortality which is inside each of us placed there by our source.
As humans it is our nature to be totally consumed with the present
life lived in our bodies, the envelopes, the outside packaging, the
container of our real inner eternal being. You see it is not the
taste of the container which is the primary objective in the
proceeding lengthy milk container expose, but the protection for
the flavor and value of it's contents, the internal material. So it
is with our small thinking evaluations of everyday life, we are
obsessed with the health, vitality and appearance of our outer layer,
the cover of the life force, the aging and decaying human body.
The
effective, reasonable care of the human body may indeed increase
individual life span, decrease the pain associated with the toll of
living, promote a better life and improve the life time experience
for the individual. We are spiritual beings on a physical plane and
not the other way around, therefore as is the way of all things in
the universe we will inevitably and finally return to our source. No
matter how much care we apply to this wrapper in which we temporarily
exist, life is short and uncertain at best. Regardless of our worldly
accomplishments, fame or wealth which we may accumulate in the
process of this life, we are all simultaneously while
in the process of living, dying. According
to modern
technological scientific knowledge and a greater understanding of the
natural human
condition, we are all dying, we differ only by the degrees or
stages of the process. Everything in existence is in one of two
physical states, these are expressed as follows; all physical matter
is either in growing or decaying, it is further understood that both
states may occur within a simultaneous time span.
It
is not my intention to down-play the role of the importance in
relation to, or the basic common sense involved in, the examination
or application of the activities surrounding a reasonable plan to
live longer, healthier and smarter. The intention here is to examine
and clarify the fact that it's not the container that's important but
the content, it's not the cover of the book that's of value but the
words that are contained inside on the pages, in short it's the
internal content that matters most, all externalization appearance is
cosmetic or superficial and in the final analysis, of little lasting
value. The concept of value and a gem to take
home is "The Milk container is just like people, it's what's on the Inside
that counts."