SHATTERING

On my 21st birthday, I was given a lovely savoury dish apparently made of a new type of unbreakable tablewear. Recently, I was a guest at a celebration and took a “plate” over on my treasured piece. When leaving, the host fumbled as he handed me my plate but managed with great agility to stop it crashing to the ground. Taking it, I airily said, “Oh, you need not have worried, this is one of those unbreakable models. Look” – and let it drop. Everyone still declares it was the star turn of the evening. All the guest hysterical with laughter at the sight of the host and a very thunderstruck me sweeping up the thousands of pieces of my “unbreakable” dish. Pamela, Whangarei, June 12, 1967