Frequently, I make the rounds of neighboring towns to see what is being offered at yard and garage sales. In so doing, I always ask if the sellers have a forgotten box of insulators in the basement or attic. It is amazing how many insulators I have gotten this way. 

So last Saturday as I pulled up to the last yard sale on my list, I saw bottles and glass and pasteboard boxes like you wouldn't believe. My heart skipped a couple beats in anticipation. I went up to the two ladies running the sale and asked my usual questions about having tucked-away insulators since none were in sight. 

The big lady said, "Insulators?" 

Trying not to show my disappointment, I said, "Yes, they are those small glass things on top of telephone poles that look like they are holding up the wires." And I drew pictures with my hands.

The big lady pointed to the thin, little lady. "Oh, yes," she says. "Evelyn has one. Show him that glass insulator, Evelyn."

Evelyn displayed what looked like a wrist support for bowlers, but it probably was to wrap around a sweaty glass. I was destroyed.

"That's not exactly what I had in mind," I said. "I'm looking for an insulator made out of glass. It goes on telephone poles."

The big lady says, "You have one of those, too, Evelyn. That mug-in-a-sock that says 'Philadelphia Flyers'. You know."

Well, Dora. Maybe I don't speak English. Maybe the noise of the traffic was too much for the big lady. In any event, I no longer felt like continuing the discussion. This had been a very bad day. The Atlantic City Electric Co. had told me that any insulators brought back were put in the trash and taken to the landfill. Also, instead of 19 out of 20 people knowing what an insulator is (usually after explanations), it was a day for maybe four or five people knowing what I was talking about.

But, I did learn something. I learned that everybody doesn't think in insulator terms. A glass insulator does insulate a drinking glass. I also learned that on my next trip out, I'll take a CD 154 and a CD 106 along to show what I'm talking about. But, what if the person has a CD 162 in carnival and does not get the connection? 

Oh, well. I'm just going to keep trying!