Do you know how the envelope was created?
You've always wanted to know the answer to that question, right?
Let me back up and explain how this question turned into a blog post.
As a kiddo, I used to write a lot of stories. Nonsensical, silly stories. I had a great imagination. As an adult, I constantly wonder where that fantastical mind wandered off to.
Looking at a blank page is painful and I, once again, start questioning my decision to leap into the world of writing and freelance. (See previous posts, if you want to learn more about my resistance and struggles).
But, when I was a child I never thought twice about writing. I’d pull out the (ahem) typewriter, insert a blank piece of paper and my little fingers would go…
Remembering the freedom of my little kid mind is how I began writing this post.
I needed to send off a payment this morning and while searching for an envelope I had a flashback about a story I once made up about how the envelope was created.
I was in 4th grade and the assignment was to think of a modern-day item and explain how it originated alternately from its actual creation.
I don’t know how I came up with the invention of the envelope as my topic - and sadly, I don’t know where the original story is - but in my young 10-year-old brain I made up a story that went something like this:
It was a long, long time ago and there was a population that lived among the forests and jungles. They were tired of their letters to each other being lost or destroyed by the weather (apparently, this group had the means to write and something to write upon, but again, I was 10 y.o.). One day, someone had the brilliant idea to take 2 large, flexible leaves, line them up together, and then take the thorns of roses and pierce the leaves around the sides until only an opening was available, and that’s where the letter went inside before the final thorns were used to seal the leaves shut.
Ta-da! The first envelope was created!
It’s whimsical and fun and this memory made me smile. I am reminded that writing, like any art form, is subjective. As an adult, I can and should still write far-fetched, light-hearted pieces that amuse me. Chances are, others will find delight in such storytelling, and others will roll their eyes and move on with their day. Both options are fine with me.
While I ultimately want to write for others, writing for myself is gratifying. It will do me good to remember that the next time I look at a blank page and struggle to write something that will impress the masses.
By the way, if you want to know the real story behind the first envelope; it was created in ancient Babylon around 2000 B.C. and was made of clay. They would surround important documents (yes, they had them, apparently) with a thin layer of clay, pinch the edges closed, and then bake the entire thing until it became a hard shell. The recipient would then break it into pieces to retrieve the correspondence.
On that note: cheers to Babylonians and the minds of 4th graders!
Comments