Paper Clip Day

(Google Image) 

By Diane Forrest

I would love to visit my grandmother during the summer.  She had this little small office space, there was a desk, a metal phone number organizer.  You could move the dial on the side, place it on the letter of the alphabet you were looking for, and push a button on the bottom and the lift the top.  I thought that was the coolest thing.  She also had this white ceramic thing a ma bob that you put water in.  In the center was a little wheel.  You took a postage stamp, run it across the top of the wheel, and it would "lick" your stamp for you.  Of course these days most of the stamps come with adhesive on them.  She also had a box that was full of paper clips.  There was metal cap with a hole in the center, and you could shake the clips out through the hole.

(Google Image)

I loved going to my grandmother's office and pretend I was a secretary.  I would play with all of her office "toys", but my favorite was the paper clip box.  I would link them together and make bracelets, necklaces and belts.  I am quite sure my grandmother had just as much fun taking all my jewelry apart and returning the clips to the box.  It wasn't until I was a little older that I learned paper clips had a more useful function.  I learned that you could straighten them out, stick them in the hole in the center of a door knob, like the one on my brother's door, and it would unlock the door!  That funny boy thought he could lock me out of his room.  It was a good thing I learned about this useful trick before he did.  He wondered for a long time how I was able to get his door open.

(Google Image)

Paper clips also have another function.  They actually hold papers together!  Who knew?  The first paper clip was actually patented way back in 1867 by Samuel B. Fay and was made to be used a clip for attaching tickets to fabrics.  Of course it was also realized that it could be used to hold papers together too.  Today is paper clip day.  A day to celebrate this simple object that makes one task a little simpler.  Ways to celebrate the day is to organize your paper clips, dig them out of your drawers, off your counters, and behind your computer, and put them in a clip keeper.  If you don’t have any around, you can go to your office supply store and find all types and colors to choose from.  Of course you can always make a beautiful chain to wear, or even pick your brother's lock.

(Google Image)