I was thinking (my wife says that’s when things get dangerous) about just how frequently glass or reference thereto is a part of my day. Most of the time it’s just talking about work, specifically product ideas, but I got interested in how it’s used for reference by non-vitro-ites, and decided to assemble my findings. A little research yielded a quote that blew me away, but let’s savor that later.

First, my own innovation: Glass is the new granite. Think about it. Steps, facades, countertops, and lots of places where granite was the upgrade, placed for permanence, a mark of quality both in performance and aesthetics, is now an opportunity for glass. Plus the price for granite used to be way up there, and now it’s glass that’s the upgrade. Hmmmm… for me that should take its place right there with other new “catch” phrases like “40 is the new 30,” though for me that would be “50-something is the new 40-something;” or “let me check on that and get back to you,” which has replaced the old “it’s in the mail.”

Here’s another great Stew-ism: “I am feeling motivationally challenged,” rather than “I am feeling lazy today.” Some days, anyway.

But back to my glass references, starting with the familiar: The old “glass ceiling,” which is being broken on a regular basis; “smooth as glass” (now impregnated with anti-slip agents so it’s not so smooth, for use as stair-steps or flooring); “people in glass houses” who either shouldn’t throw stones or don’t mind having passersby see their every move; and finally, the universal reference to “the glass being half full” rather than empty–presuming you’re an optimist rather than a pessimist.

In all I discovered dozens and dozens of sayings and references, mostly to do with one or another vessel made of glass, imbibing or self-examination (i.e., looking-glass) but there are two that definitely stand out. The first was a quote by Stephen King, who, is one of my favorite reads, though you just have to wonder about the guy. He said, “People think that I must be a strange person. That is not true. I have the heart of a small boy. It is in a glass jar on my desk.” Scary, huh??

But finally, the piece de resistance, with which I’ll close this blog, chosen for its poignancy and relevance to what we do, attributed to Elisabeth Kubler-Ross, who said “People are liked stained-glass windows. They sparkle and shine when the sun is out, but when the darkness sets in, their true beauty is revealed only if there is a light from within.” Think about it.