Goggle Sense

It's pool time and when we arrive at the Olney Mill Swim Club (Go Otters!) I remind the girls to use their "goggle sense." Of course they look at me, say huh? so I tell them the origin behind the saying. When I was in junior high, in the great state of New Jersey, I took a class called Metal Shop in 8th grade. The teacher was Mr Iacavone, a former Marine. He was tough on us, a class of all boys. We would work on projects involving cutting, filing, and working with metal to create such fabulous objects as the dullest bottle opener you can imagine and the way cool smooth ring- both of which I still have. Mr. Iacavone was all about safety and would bark at us primarily to remember two things, Always use your common sense and always wear your goggles. At the end of the period we would have to return our goggles to a special white cabinet that he would close, lock and would sterilize the goggles. A blue light would come on to indicate that it was in sterilization process. "Don't stare at that light! If you look at that light for more than ten seconds you'll go blind!" That was Mr Iacavone's warning. Really? I thought and I would go up and stare at the light and count out loud for ten seconds. Pretty soon, there was line of kids waiting to stare at the light. No loss of vision, but maybe that's why I have poor eyesight. At the end of the course, Mr. Iacavone gave us a final exam which everyone failed except for me. I got a D. Mr. Iacavone was furious with us and would read out loud some of the answers that we put down. This was in the late 70s and I'm sure would not be best practice in today's classroom.
Now there was one student named Kevin that our teacher referred to as "dingbat." "Listen to what dingbat wrote." It was for a sentence completion, Always use your (Blank) sense. Kevin had inserted goggles. Always use your goggle sense. We all laughed, Kevin turned beet red, and the saying was born.
So now, that's what I tell the girls before they get in the pool. And they chuckle or smile. Of course we have a half dozen in our pool bag-extras from my many attempts to find one that fits my big head without compressing it. Still remember to use my goggle sense, Mr. Iacavone.