Windshield Wipers

Robert Kearns changed my life.....

And.... your life....



Back in the 1950's Robert Kearns got a brilliant idea one day when he was driving through a rainstorm. He kept having to stop and start his windshield wipers as the rain came down either heavier or tapered off to almost nothing. His idea?... Why not invent a windshield wiper that you could control to come on "intermittently"... constant in a downpour but perhaps just once every few seconds when there was only a light rain or mist?...

So... he did. He called it The Blinking Eye Windshield Wiper. Since Robert was an inventor at heart it didn't take him long to get the electronics just right...and installed on his own car.

The next step?... Take it to FORD MOTOR CO...... And he did.

They were impressed. They wanted to know how it worked... but, Robert wouldn't show them. He simply wanted them to buy his invention and give him a small cut for every one they sold.

They told him they would think about it. And they thought about it.... and thought about it.

Robert waited, but never heard back from FORD. But, about a year later Ford came out with the brand new Mustang, ... and, lo and behold,... one big selling feature of the new Mustang... the brand-new "Intermittent Windshield Wiper!"



Robert was crushed.....and he was mad. They had stolen his idea.



So... Robert hired himself a lawyer and started to pursue a lawsuit against The Ford Motor Company. The law firm he hired was really good. They filed a lawsuit and soon they got a really good response from Ford. Ford offered to settle for 250,000 dollars. Remember, this was in the early 60's. That was a lot of money back then. (I wouldn't mind someone offering me that kind of money today)....

But, Robert balked. He said it wasn't enough. His pride was at stake and he wasn't about to sell out for such a low figure. The law firm he hired was furious that he wouldn't take the deal.

So,.. Robert fired the law firm and started a long, solo battle against Ford Motors. He started studying up on law suits, spent hours pouring through law books at the library. Robert became obsessed with his invention and in wanting to get notoriety for his wonderful invention. He filed legal briefs and began the process to take Ford to court.

One day he got a surprise visitor..... a representative from one of Fords lawyers. Ford didn't want to fight anymore. The visitor told Robert that Ford wanted to give him 1,000,000 dollars to settle out of court. One MILLION dollars!.....

Robert told him to get out!....

Robert was determined that his pride was at stake and it was no longer about the money. He was insulted that Ford has stolen his idea, .... his baby.... the Blinking Eye...

So the lawsuit continued....

And years passed....

And he was so obsessed with justice that he neglected his family.

His wife divorced him.

His children grew-up without him around. They became teenagers. They became young adults.

Robert pursued the lawsuit.

Finally, after so many years of wrangling, a court-date was set...the court was ready to rule on his case.

Ford balked again. They approached Robert one last time. They offered to settle out-of-court for 30,000,000..... 30 MILLION dollars!.....

Robert told them no. He was ready to do battle in court. He was ready to get credit for his invention.

The case was heard, the evidence was presented.... and, lo and behold.... Robert won!...

Robert won..... 10,000,000 dollars...10 MILLION dollars..... 20 million than Ford had offered to settle the suit for.

But Robert was happy. He had won. He had salvaged his pride. The world would know that HE invented the Intermittent Windshield Wiper.



Did YOU know that Robert Kearns invented the Intermittent Windshield Wiper?

Nope?..... Well... me neither. Neither has 99.99999999% of the world's population. Nobody cares, really. Only Robert cared.

He cared so much that he sacrificed his life with his wife and children. Now he was rich.... and alone....

I don't know if Robert ever figured out that there is actually a moral to his story.

Sometimes "pride" can become an addiction... it can become just as obsessive as heroin, or alcohol,...or sex.... or (fill in the blank)....

Addiction is often described as an "obsession".

All of us have to be on our guard against anything that becomes such an obsession that we're willing to lose everything that really matters in order to obtains something, that in the long run, doesn't really matter that much.

Pride.

Robert died a rich man.

OR..... did he.....?

You decide....