Paper Folded: Character

[penthius]

I am obsessed with paper. I think this would be easier if I lived in another country, one that shared my obsession. Japan, perhaps. Paper walls, paper folding--it would fit. America is more difficult. Paper is thing to be thrown away, not to be treasured, ironed flat, and saved. Usually not even to be recycled. We have trees; we can just make more. And if we run out of trees, we can just make more of those. I find myself picking up pieces of paper discarded at bus stops, lurking in trash bins (as long as not contaminated by food), blowing along the street. I rejoice when I see one of the delivery guys rubber-banding a restaurant menu to my doorknob. Fish and chips is my favorite food because it comes served on a paper, even if that paper is now stained beyond saving. It seems right. And in restaurants that use real newspaper, sometimes the words print on the fish, a reverse transfer. I suppose it's all very much in violation of health codes, but it seems real and right to me. So when a store opened up in the nearby strip mall--which I only go to because it's the only place I can find jeans in my size (not that I'm fat, you understand, no, I have the opposite problem)--that sold only origami, it was love at first sight.


Inspiration: J.J. Abrams' "Mystery Box" TED Talk
Story potential: Medium.
Notes: Character!