The Art of Revising

January 9
The Art of Revising

Write a one-page description of an object that is familiar to you but not to others. Over the next few days, tinker with the sketch.


I will likely tinker with this, so you may read one version today and return for others later on.

Object: Wild Mountain Organics Lip Balm
The 2.75" narrow, white tube with the faded label contains some of the best stuff on Earth! I know that is an owner's exaggeration of her product, but I am pretty proud of our creation. I usually make lip balms and take a few without labels so that I may use them without wasting a label. Yes, I use our products. This lip balm became mine because I saw a crack in the cap. I couldn't sell it, but wasn't going to toss it out. The cap doesn't sit quite right because the crack has loosened it. It sits on my desk. I can't put it in my purse because the cap might come off and all manner of lint and purse mites might get into the honey, beeswax, almond oil mixture.

Our labels have the Wild Mountain Organics logo in a deep blue color - the color of Lake Tahoe on a sunny day. Mount Shasta is in the background, but Mount Shasta looks like the snow you sometimes get on a television screen when switching from cable to video.

Removing the cap, one is able to see the hole in the middle of the lip balm made by the plastic screw in the center of the lip balm that allows the balm to rise when it's ribbed mechanism is turned.

My lips must be quite uneven because the top of the balm is not smooth across. One side of the balm is clearly favored over the other. I make a note that I will have to remedy that.