Why write about screws and nails, you ask? Why not? They are a necessary part of life. I remember growing up during the Great Depression and during WW ll when good ones were hard to find.

Let's look back at screws, first. Phillips screws were unheard of. If they were around, we never saw any. All we had were the slotted ones and it seemed we seldom had new ones. A box full of assorted screws, nails and small fittings was a joy to sort through.

I remember going to auctions with my folks. I would search for a box of such goodies. They usually went cheap. So what if the box held dirt and broken things as well; I just knew there were treasures in there waiting to be discovered. I would spread newspapers on the kitchen table, carefully dump out the box and sort out the good stuff.

A problem with screws was the slot on top. If it was too wide, the screwdriver would slip and not push the screw into the wood. If the slot was too shallow, the tip of the screwdriver wouldn't fit. Dad had several screwdrivers of various widths to accommodate those misformed slots. What a joy Phillips screws were when they hit the hardware market.

What about nails? Have you ever had to straighten a bent nail because that was all you had. I have. You select the least bent one and with a hammer gently pound it back into shape. When you drove it into a piece of wood, you were gentle, too. It would easily bend again.

Am I the only one who remembers trying to use discarded nails? One of the problems of being poor is that you seldom threw anything away. You might need it. I guess that was why my generation was full of hoarders, or as we used to call them, pack rats. My family keeps me honest.

“Now really, Mother, are you ever going to use it?” How many times have I heard that? I grudgingly give up the offending object and try to put the hurt out of my mind. “You just wait. I will be needing it and then I'll have to buy a new one,” I'd say. Unfortunately for my pride, it seldom happens. It is painful to be so brutally honest. My home is only mildly cluttered. I do still have a junk box out in the barn with assorted goodies, but with no bend nails or tired screws.