What the world would be without paper: I cannot possibly imagine.

I have a little notebook about half an A4 piece of paper in size, 3 to 4 years old. It’s very plain; the paper is brown and thin and so is the cover, which is made of corrugated cardboard. It’s my favorite of all the many notebook gifts I’ve received over the years. My friend only wrote one small note and stuck it on the first page with scotch-tape, apologizing that her present “wasn’t much” and I don’t know, it’s just heartening to open it and always see her note there. Means alot to me. On the cover, she simply wrote my name in black; I wonder if she knows how many of my best pieces of writing and ideas have appeared on her gift’s pages.

(So Nat, this is sort of a thank you for that.)

Anyway, like the title of the post indicates, I think I would die without paper.

And so, too, would our entire way of life. I mean, think about it. How would people communicate? Any formal business requires paperwork. Offices churn out documents, schools and institutions worldwide still favor written examinations, love letters are passed through the mail, signs in shop windows and posters stuck on lamp-posts, post-its, tissues for runny noses (and bladders), notepads, notebooks, anything with a “note” in it really, bottle labels, stickers, cardboard boxes, gift wrapping, commercial packaging, confetti, of course, its many uses in art and handicraft. And books, yes, non-negotiable.

It recently surprised me that there are so many good movies out there that nobody knows about. It’s also probably kind of a wake up call to know that they’re all available on Youtube in ten or eleven parts. Brings to mind the the whole piracy issue. But anyway, back to paper. I’ve got this habit of scrawling down things that people say, or bits of information that I pick up, or ideas that pop into my head on random fragments of spare paper and then stuffing them in my wallet or pocket. They get misplaced or disintegrate after I put my clothes in the wash basket, and if I’m lucky, show up a few weeks later slightly shabbier than before. The funny thing is, I know that writing stuff down like that means an 80% chance I’ll lose it, but I can’t stop doing it. I sort of like knowing that if some scrap shows up again, it’s sort of undergone a “test” and proven to be important enough for me to keep. My little system of differentiation I guess. Completely absurd, illogical, and yet strangely, it’s worked so far.

This isn’t really so different from something I heard from this person who balances a glass of water on his chest while lying down to determine if a song idea is good enough. Apparently, if the glass topples over, it’s because he’s unsure and the idea isn’t going to work. All hocus-pocus, I know. But people have to have something. Call it your magic dice, your ace of spades, whatever.

Sidetracked again like a run-away tyre when the screw is screwed. Paper, my friends, is vital for our survival. I know, I’m getting a bit tired of all this environmental crap myself. The bottom-line is: grow a tree. You heard me (well, metaphorically). It’ll live on long after you’re dead and gone, and probably do a lot more good for the world than most people can say about themselves. Plus, it’s green, it’s self-sufficient, and provides a spot of shade on a hot day (definitely a hint of Al Gore here). You know, after Christmas Island in March, I just figured I don’t need all this money, these cars and big houses and branded clothes. All I need is a glass of iced tea, sand between my toes and sea stretched out for miles. In fact, I think I’ll live there someday. It’s got a small population, so even someone with a relatively low income can own a bungalow-sized white house on the coast. The water comes from natural springs, there are enough shops to get by comfortably, school isn’t a problem, and late-night barbecues and speed-boating are high on the agenda everyday. You don’t need money there. And you sure as heck don’t need paper.

Yes, they have television, internet access and an outdoor movie theatre. I’m starting to feel like an advertising agent for real estate. Even though movie screenings are only on Saturday nights and people would prefer to get a tan than to get online.

http://www.amigans.net/userinfo.php?uid=1619
http://www.blmra.co.uk/userinfo.php?uid=960
http://www.businessintheblack.com/modules/profile/userinfo.php?uid=751
http://www.colournation.com/modules/profile/userinfo.php?uid=2882
http://dragster.com.au/userinfo.php?uid=9279
http://www.election-day.info/userinfo.php?uid=10656
http://www.firetoys.co.uk/userinfo.php?uid=4951
http://www.go4go.net/v2/userinfo.php?uid=8142
http://www.nwascore.org/userinfo.php?uid=364
http://arinet.ari.gov.cy/userinfo.php?uid=1033
http://www.alegria.org/userinfo.php?uid=1981
http://www.opencobol.org/userinfo.php?uid=1610
http://www.uk-student.net/userinfo.php?uid=4211
http://www.hinduismtoday.com/userinfo.php?uid=618
http://www.allsoulsftmyers.org/userinfo.php?uid=55
http://www.mura-drava.com/userinfo.php?uid=133
http://www.onlinebusinessstartups.com/userinfo.php?uid=151
http://datsun1200.com/userinfo.php?uid=14012
http://directorspace.com/userinfo.php?uid=231
http://elrancho.ca/userinfo.php?uid=368
http://www.rocepo.sk/userinfo.php?uid=746
http://kainaistudies.com/userinfo.php?uid=271
http://www.shipspotting.com/userinfo.php?uid=53553
http://ksped.nknu.edu.tw/eng/speclass/userinfo.php?uid=14774
http://www.lincolntribune.com/userinfo.php?uid=624