Mussel Shell Used to Make Buttons

When we were in Knoxville last, we visited the UT natural history museum. Pictured is a mussel shell that has been used to make buttons. The “pearl” button industry was established on the Tennessee River in the late 19th-century. It produced buttons from the abundant fresh-water mussels, but button production ceased after WWII when plastics replaced mother-of-pearl as a button material.

There is another kind of button at Spacely Sprockets and I think that I will press it soon, because it is high time to get this show on the road. Often referred to as ‘the button’, it harbors a certain sense of reverential finality, but without the need for any nuclear launch codes. Its purpose is self-termination. Yeah, it is actually labeled such. I’m not planning on going all Terminator here, it is simply how I will officially announce my retirement. Pressing the button will set in motion my end-of-life processes as an employee at Spacely Sprockets. I’ll get a packet that will explain things and I’ll have an opportunity to have my questions answered. Graphics Gary and I always used to kid each other about pressing the button, but now it is time to do it for real. It is time to get this show on the road.