STUFF happens.

But it’s not always bad.

In fact, many of the amazing things in our lives that make them safer, more productive, and simply more fun happened by accident. For example:

• In 1943, James Wright, an engineer for General Electric spent hours working to find a cheap alternative to rubber to support the war effort. Mixing silicone oil with boric acid seemed worth a try – but instead of a new source for tires and tank treads, the lab scientists found the resulting glob a lot more fun to play with… stretching it, bouncing it, even transferring comics from paper. Thus, Silly Putty was born.

• After the war ended, in 1946 Raytheon engineer Percy Spencer was looking for other ways to use a device called the “magnetron” – used to generate microwaves for radar systems. As he was pondering this while standing next to the device, he noticed that a chocolate bar he was carrying in his pocket melted. It wasn’t long after realization dawned that microwaves could be used for cooking, reheating leftovers, and popping corn.

And last, but certainly not least…

• In the 16th century, a Dutch shipmaker heated wine to concentrate it and make it easier to ship. His idea was to add water later on to bring it back to its original state. He found, however, that the concentrated wine tasted terrific. The “burnt wine” or “brandewijn” in Dutch, grew in popularity across Holland and spread across Europe. Today, Brandy and its upper crust cousin Cognac grace the liquor cabinets of aficionados worldwide.

So good things can happen by happy circumstance. However, you don’t want to leave your financial future or retirement up to chance. Just dial 513-563-PLAN (7526) or book online for your free 15-minute call.

Regards,
Nikki Earley, CFP®