LIFE OF A PAPER CLIP
by
Gloria Hannigan
My first recollections are of nestling in a box among my 599 sibling paper clips. We are a colorful bunch, red, yellow, blue, pink, and green. Our box is situated on a shelf at Office Depot between the medium and large size paper clips, just above the post-it notes and staples. We are much prettier than our neighbors, but we try to be tolerant of their shortcomings.
One day a great turmoil occurred in our lives. Our box shook and we were standing on end as we were taken from the shelf at Office Depot and traveled by automobile to a private home where we were deposited in a desk drawer. We quickly adjusted to our new surroundings and were happy to know that we would now be put to use.
One by one my brothers and sisters went to start their livelihoods. My brother Blue became the fastener holding Mrs. Jones coupons. My sisters Pink and Yellow decorated, eight-year-old, Mary’s homework assignments. I had the most important position. I held the tickets to the games during baseball season for Mr. Jones. One day, every week, during Baseball season, I would be taken from my corner in the desk drawer and clipped to the tickets. At the ballpark, I would give up the tickets and return to Mr. Jones pocket. Mr. Jones called me his lucky green paper clip. He felt his team would lose if he didn’t have me with him.
Mr. Jones was very angry when the teams went on strike. "So much for my lucky clip", he said as he tossed me out in the parking lot of the stadium.
The rains came, the sun shone, the parking lot sweepers picked me up and deposited me in different areas. My beautiful green color soon peeled away leaving a dull gray.
After the strike was settled people came back to the parking lot once more. I became embedded in the sole of a shoe and could not get loose. I wiggled and stretched to no avail. Soon I was back in an automobile traveling to another private home. During this ride, Bill Gates saw me on the bottom of his shoe. "What have we here? He said. I have an idea."
Microsoft Word now employs me. My name is 'Clippit', and I will help you write your stories.
