It’s been a while since I read a book of my own free choice.  I’ve read school books, literature books, that sort of thing, but free reading?  No, I was too busy surfing the web.

Then I picked up The Great Gatsby.  And while I didn’t, in fact, like the book, it was such an experience.  I loved really reading again, so much that I grabbed another one.  And once I finish, I’ll begin another.

And then I asked myself, “Just what are books made of?”  The answers may vary: soul, trees, money.  All of these apply, but if you think about it, it’s just paper.  But, wow, is paper cool!

After reading up on paper-making, I learned just how amazing the process is.  Wood goes through multiple procedures to come out as dry fiber, which conforms together naturally.  This makes what we like to call paper.

This is how books are made and this is what we print our school essays on.  Yet, some people argue that paper will be run over by the oncoming age of technology, and this may be true.  As for me, I could hardly live without paper.  The entire sense of it; the smell, the feel –  it’s what I grew up with.  And it’s what I hope that my children will grow up with.

Paper, however simple compared to the vast stages of the Internet, is still important to me.  While I am excited for new technology, and I long to grow with the modern society, paper and books will always have a place with me.  No matter how many hours I spend wasting my time on a computer, I will always come back to paper.