I learned about duct tape when I was about 12 years old. My father was in the building business and we would help him on the job site. One day he yelled, “Get me the duct tape.”

Not knowing what duct tape was I thought he said, “DUCK tape.”

DUCK Tape?

You can imagine the image in my mind – a duck with tape. What in the world was he talking about? As I was dilly dallying around trying to figure out what “DUCK TAPE” was…

My Dad gave another LOUD shout, “WHERE’s the duct tape?”

At this point the electrician seeing I was going to be in trouble soon called me over and handed me the grey roll of duct tape. I looked at him quizzically and smiled, SO THIS is “duct tape?!”

I soon learned how handy duct tape was in life. I always travel with duct tape now, in fact, it came in handy last summer in Africa. My nephew came to me in a panic, because he said the sole of his shoe was starting to fall off.

Well – Duct Tape to the RESCUE!! With his foot in his boot, I taped his boot up – no more problems! I won “Best Auntie” for that one. Proof that duct tape comes in handy.

I became a duct tape expert – fixed my rain coat while hiking, taped up my broken luggage, removed lint from my clothes, taped up the hem of my pants and even used duct tape to bandage a blister. Wow – I was feeling cool.

Have you seen the “Jumbo Duct Tape Book,” by Jim Berg and Tim Nyberg? More uses, you’d be amazed.

And now, duct tape comes in fancy colors. I don’t know, I’m still with the traditional grey.

So, share a story…

HOW have YOU used YOUR duct tape?