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The Fidget Spinner vs. The Feelie

The Fidget Spinner vs. The Feelie - The Bright Angle

We never knew how much we needed tactile therapy until it was within our grasps -- literally. The fidget spinner is the new talking cure in an era where time on the couch is increasingly difficult to fit into the schedule. And the budget. Oh fidget spinner, you bring us relief from worry for just $11.99.

But then we realized there’s a dark side to the fidget spinner. Sure, it’s a silly fad, but we were able to look beyond that due to our anxiety-free moments. It’s the material that bugged us. Plastic, and sketchy manufacturing practices, no doubt. The fidget spinner factory is probably enough to make you need a fidget spinner.

We can do better, we thought. Enter the Feelie. Two inches long and satisfyingly smooth, our little worry stone fits perfectly in the palm of your hand, like a kind friend reaching out to give you a squeeze. When you’ve got the reassurance you seek, the Feelie stows in your pocket. Don’t try that with your fidget spinner. You’ll get all sorts of weird lumps in your pocket zone.

The Feelie, a handmade replacement for the Fidget Spinner. Made by The Bright Angle Pottery Studio in Asheville NC

In four colors -- Noon Blue, Smoke Grey, Sundog Pink and Smoke White -- the Feelie is visually captivating. Also, it looks better in a business meeting than a fidget spinner. (It’s possible we made that mistake, so you don’t have to.)

The other nice thing about the Feelie is its timelessness. It’s actually an ancient piece of technology, the worry stone, which was reportedly used all over the world. The ancient Greeks had them. So did the Native Americans. That thought comforts us when we worry over worrying. You know, when the level of anxiety you’re feeling seems like a cause for additional anxiety? (Been there.) Well, the Feelie is a good reminder that human beings have been living with anxiety for as long as there have been human beings. Consider the caveman, nervous about a lurking Mastadon, pulling out a familiar polished stone and giving it a rub. We only wish we could have given him one in Sundog Pink.

The Feelie, a handmade replacement for the Fidget Spinner. Made by The Bright Angle Pottery Studio in Asheville NC