The dimmer switch for the down-
stairs’ bathroom started going bad
two years ago. Once in a while it

wouldn’t click on when pushed.
As time passed, the dimmer got
worse, not clicking on much at

all. It taunted those who wished
to use the downstairs bathroom.
They would push and push and

push until there was the inform-
ative click and then they would
adjust the dimmer to the amount

of light desired or they could
stumble and fumble their way
across the bathroom in the dark

to flip the switch next to the
bedroom door. Recently, he start-
ed having nightmares about the

dimmer taunting him, daring him
to turn it on or replace it with
an ordinary light switch and mock-

ing him when he got an electric
shock for not remembering to turn
off the electricity. Finally, unable

to stand it anymore, he purchased
a switch, remembered to turn off
the electricity, put on the little,

camp headlamp and replaced the
dimmer saying to the now dead-as-
a-doornail dimmer, “See, you

can’t get the best of me.” He
then said to his wife in a tone
of self-satisfied congratulations,

“Darling, I replaced the dimmer
just like you asked me to.”