In 1976, my dad had an idea for a home popcorn popper with a stir-rod like a movie theater popper. First, he drilled a hole in the cover of an existing popper. Then he inserted a percolator stem for the stirrer, which was spun around using a humidifier motor. (Really, Dad? You had that laying around?)
The West Bend Company loved the idea. A year later, it hit the shelves, and 45 years later, the West Bend Stir Crazy popcorn popper is still being sold.
Yesterday my dad and I made a batch of popcorn and then watched YouTube videos featuring the popper. We couldn’t believe how many there were, and one even had over 1.2 million views. My dad was trying to play it cool, but I could see the delight in his eyes as person after person said how much they loved his machine.
Which got me thinking about the people around the world who have been touched by his idea. Like those who had the jobs assembling, marketing, transporting, or selling it. Or the farmers who grew the popcorn or made the butter. Or the millions of people who’ve watched one of the YouTube videos. And, of course, the families who used it.
We live in a country where creative and entrepreneurial people can turn ideas into reality and make the world a better place. I am thankful.
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