Small but fundamental disappointments are helpful in consolidating the personality. Who, as a child, did not discover a piece of gold on a river bank, or a ball of pure silver, or even a precious stone? Only to be told, when you proudly presented the treasure to the nearest adult, “That’s crumpled up aluminum foil” or “That’s a perfectly normal pebble, why are you making such a fuss?” This is how you learn to manage your expectations.
Or do it like Colin and Donna Craig-Brown. The couple, from Hamilton, New Zealand, dug up what they thought was a giant potato in their garden last August. The 7.8 kilo heavy, knotty plant brought it to prominence. The Craig-Browns dubbed it “Dug,” posted online photos of it wearing a hat, and drove it around in a cart. Finally, they sent photos and DNA samples to the Guinness Book of Records Committee. Had they discovered the largest potato in the world?
No. They hadn’t even spotted a potato yet. The reply email from the Guinness publisher says: “Unfortunately, the specimen is not a potato, but a tuber of a pumpkin plant. For this reason, we unfortunately have to reject the application.” Did Colin and Donna react with huge disappointment? no way. Dug is still stored in the freezer of the two. “I say hello to him every time I take out some sausages,” Colin Craig-Brown told the AP. “He’s a cool guy.” Most importantly, according to its discoverers, Dug continues to be a record-holder: the largest not-potato of the world.
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