Going Solo

 

Remember the world’s great inventions?

The Wheel! Fire! Electricity! In-door plumbing! Tele-communications! Eatable panties!

Then you remember the red Solo cup!!!

Here is who to thank:

Leo Hulseman, a former employee of the Dixie Co. in the 1930s, created the "Solo Cup", a paper cone he made at his home and sold to bottled-water companies. Later the company developed other products, like wax-coated cups and the plastic Cozy Cup. The wax-coated cups were added to its lineup in the 1950s, as fountain sodas gained popularity.

Leo Hulseman founded the Solo Cup Company in 1936, The company was originally incorporated in 1955 under the name Hulseman Paper Corporation.

In the 1970s, Hulseman’s son, Robert Leo Hulseman, came up with the now-ubiquitous (in the United States), red Solo cup. The red Solo cups are made of thick, molded polystyrene. They are known for being able to withstand drops, easily stackable, and disposable while price accessible. Their characteristic red color may conceal the drinking contents.

On June 30, 1980, SOLCO, Inc. and RM LEASING CORPORATION merged into Solo Cup Company.

On March 1, 2004, Solo acquired Sweetheart Cup Company for $917.2 million, in part with public debt. Sweetheart was founded by Joseph Shapiro and his four brothers, emigrants from Russia. It became the largest consumer packaging company in the world and was sold several times before being acquired by Solo Cup. Following the acquisition, Solo Cup's finances suffered, and Standard & Poor’s lowered their credit rating from B to CCC+. In late 2006, Solo Cup was reported to be $1.1 billion in debt.

In 2005, the Museum of Modern Art in New York City added a Solo Cup Traveler's Lid to its permanent collection. The lid was featured because it symbolized innovation and progress in basic product design.

Solo Cup Company closed its longstanding facility in Highland Park, Illinois, in December 2009 and relocated to Lake Forest, Illinois.

On May 4, 2012, Solo Cup Company was acquired by Dart Container.

If you have even been to a baseball game, a music festival, a wedding or funeral, a horse race or even a royal coronation; you’ve seen the popular red Solo cup. It can hold water, soft drinks (with or without ice), coffee, peanuts, and even alcoholic beverages. It is light and easy to carry and can be refilled.

Before a paper cup at the water cooler was a cone that held a swallow. The little Dixie cup you got from the soda jerk was flimsy and leaky.  Before that you had to drink out of a ceramic or glass container. Each mixed drink had to have its own special size glass and every person has their favorite coffee mug.

Though it looks that Leo wasn’t the best business operator, when you want a drink, everyone goes Solo.

Speaking of going Solo, I’ve read several studies and reports recently about the solo elderly failing mental aptitude and health.  I bear witness on this blog of the pros and cons of going solo.

Our species, so I’m told, are communitive in nature for safety and comradery. We also seek out companions for friends or lovers. We vow allegiance to another to be a spouse, partner, or significant other with sharing last names, insurance plans, housing and beds.

The plus of not going solo is there is someone else to cuddle with or be able to check that bump on your back or know well enough that a small gesture can bring another joy. The con of not going solo is that other person is always around, bring drama and anxiety and frustration that cannot be found alone.

Going solo as a geezer is an interesting journey. The thoughts are your own. Speaking out loud in a conversation to an empty room always confirms your point of room without a struggle. If you knock something over or leave the water running, you can’t get angry at yourself. There is no one there to laugh if you bump into the wall. If there was a bad decision, there is no one to blame except the person in the mirror, No one will punch you for snoring too loud. You can read or listen to music or write without being interrupted with a shopping trip or an afternoon picnic.

Some have a necessity of having another around. Perhaps to take care of or being cared for. Perhaps the emotional need for reassurance or ego deprecation. There is only one seat on a bicycle.

Facing the ultimate conclusion some will want or even require someone else to make the decisions of time and place to depart. Going solo releases others of the burden, but it does bring reality of a decaying body into focus. When you die… you die alone.

So, remember Leo Hulseman when you are sitting on the toilet (something else you do solo) and thank him for his invention of the big red plastic cup.

Going solo.