Not to write
with. My handwriting is atrocious and I find it very time consuming to form the
letters. Typing is so much better, though I do carry a small Moleskin with me
to jot notes down upon.
No, I’m
talking about more everyday forms of paper. At least, what used to be everyday
forms of paper. I miss paper as a food packaging. Everything has been overrun
with colorful plastics, sometimes fused with foils. They’re effective
certainly, especially at keeping items fresh and waterproof, but I miss the
crinkle of a paper wrapper around a candy bar, or a bag of potato chips. I miss
the shiny inner layer of foil acting as a brilliant contrast to the black of a
Hershey logo or the blue of a Nestle Crunch bar.
Sure, I’m
being nostalgic; I miss them because that’s what I grew up with. But in a world
increasingly concerned over the fate of plastic bottles, of the increased
dependency on plastics and petroleum (from which most plastics are derived), I
think we should once again embrace paper as part of wrapping our goods. As long
as we are responsible with the planting and harvesting of trees, this should
present no great burden to the environment, and we will reduce dependency on
foreign powers who continue to increase the cost per barrel.
And because
I miss the paper.