Tammi's World

He Changed the World

Gerald E. Thomas was a man of vision. He changed the world. Really.

WHAT?!?! You've never heard of him!?!? He's the guy that created the T.V. Dinner. Oh, the Army and Pan Am Airlines were doing something similar, but Mr. Thomas gave it to the masses.

I was born in '62 - 10 full years after the introduction of the T.V. Dinner. But the closest we came in our house to those "treats" were Pot Pies. Chicken Pot Pies to be exact. Mama worked out of the house most days so she tried to make sure she had a home cooked meal for us in the evening. When she couldn't Daddy cooked.

Until I hit my teens. By that time Mama was working a "regular" job and it was just too difficult to make a full meal every day. So a couple times a week we'd get T.V. Dinners. Of course there was no T.V. watched while eating those. Oh Hell No. Dinner was at the table. With the family. There was conversation. End. Of. Story.

But when I got married those things saved my life. And the funny thing is I fought them tooth and nail. I was only 22 years old. I had lived alone for years, traveled and played. Now all of a sudden I had 3 boys, a husband, a mother-in-law and heaven only knew how many others would show up. I tried to cook every night. But my kids would BEG for T.V. Dinners. For them - with us being so poor - they were a treat. They LOVED the Hungry Man Fried Chicken dinners. For years I was so hurt that my boys wanted that CRAP instead of my home cookin'. But I learned. Oh yes I did. I finally realized it was the basic theory of economics. Supply and Demand. My boys wanted them because they couldn't have them. So I only served them every once in a while.......but it still made my life so much easier.

Anyway - I still don't like frozen dinners. I know they've improved. I know it's easier if you're single. But they are NOT for me.

Mr. Thomas passed away this past week. But his idea sure did change the world, didn't it? Funny thing is - he hated those T.V. Dinners. Never ate them. Heh. Kinda ironic, don't ya think?

Rest in Peac Mr. Thomas.

Posted by Tammi at July 24, 2005 06:10 AM