Pacifiers: The Parenting Equivalent to Duct Tape

A lifetime ago, I had a fraternity brother who was obsessed with duct tape. This guy swore that duct tape could literally fix anything if applied in the proper fashion. His wallet was made completely out of duct tape and the majority of his shoes were composed of a sole and duct tape. He was an interesting guy who, thought it was truly cool to sport a Mullet and a thin scraggly mustache, which made him look like Lt. Dangle from Reno 911. His affinity for duct tape however, got me thinking...
Duct tape is extremely versatile, but it is never the permanent solution. You can use duct tape to fix anything from a leaky pipe to a broken tail light, but eventually you're going to have to find a more acceptable long term answer. Well in this brand new world of parenting, I have found that the pacifier has many of the same qualities as duct tape.

Who's Got My Passy?!

Like duct tape, I find myself using the pacifier,or "passy," as a stop gap to buy me the time to get Elly whatever she needs. If she starts fussing because its time for a feeding, the passy is my go to move in order to keep Elly happy long enough to make the bottle. If we're out in public and I need time to set up a MacGyver style diaper change, the passy is essential to giving me the quiet needed to focus on the task at hand. Executing the "MacGyver" diaper change is like trying to defuse a bomb. I can attest to the fact that changing  a dirty diaper in the stall of an Outback Steakhouse will test the nerves of even the most stoic man.
The pacifier is a key part of my personal "bubblegum and paperclip" solution but it's not a cure all. And like duct tape, the passy only works for so long. So here's to the pacifier and all of it uses. Although it may not be a permanent fix, life is much easier with a passy handy.