Paper often taken for granted

Dear editor:

Yes, the squabble became a bit too much. Thank you for putting a halt to it.

Of course, I have to show my appreciation for the bit about a paperless society. Just tan't so. The more I work with paper the more I discover the importance of paper in our society.

Many people, when I demonstrate or teach a class, one of the questions is "can you write on it?" I always hesitate because I immediately think of all the other uses for paper.

A number of years ago they estimated that there are 1,400 uses for paper. A recent discovery is that small batteries can be made from paper. The positive and negative of paper can make this possible. The paper balloons used by the Japanese during WWII, and the list goes on and....

Gutenberg did start with the movable type but I always remind people that without paper that would not have been possible. The Chinese had movable type before Gutenberg but he was the one that made it possible to print the Bible. The Chinese invented paper also. Guess they do produce some good stuff.

I'm afraid I'm way behind in the techno field. There are some things that just don't work right reading the words on a screen. I feel much more comfortable making paper and then letter pressing words on my 105-year old Chandler and Price.

Paper, like life, is taken for granted.

-- Tom Bennick