There are many things in life that have a negative impact on the way we feel. Violence, death, a bad day at work, traffic and other such things make us feel horrible. There are probably just as many things that have a positive effect on us as well. Winning the lottery, Birthdays, gifts, and sunshine are among them. All these things are good, but there is nothing that can effect the human psyche in a greater way than a piece of blank notebook paper. The soothingness of a blank piece of paper is unparalleled.
       First there is variety. There are so many different pieces of paper to choose from. Yellow, blue, red, classic white, wide ruled, college ruled, no lines at all, holes, ridges, neither, one inch margins, no margins, loose leaf, bound, and even the thickness of the paper can be selected. The experience of choosing just the right piece of paper for the job is enough to send chills down one's spine.
       Despite the glory one can feel upon choosing the correct piece of paper, the actual selection of the paper is the boring part. The good part comes once you have the paper in hand. Gazing upon the paper is like gazing into the depths of the mind. There are so many choices, so many ways to use the paper that one could spend hours just gazing at the paper. It's as if the paper itself is packed with potential energy just waiting for someone to transform it to kinetic so it can take off. The paper is the canvas upon which the artist will create at will. It often helps to run one's hand along the surface of the paper while closing one's eye. The texture, the silence, the sheer power of the paper lies just beneath the fingertips of the potential host.
       One of the greatest things about a blank piece of paper is the fact that it can help people during even the worst of times. People often choose their paper prematurely. They have nothing to say or to create or to think about. It is as if their efforts to pick out their paper were in vain. But in these situations, the paper is not selfish. It is a good friend in that it is willing to make a sacrifice for the user. When the user feels blocked in the mind and has nothing to write, the paper beckons the user. It needs the user to feel good, so it calls, "Crumple me!" The user pauses and wonders what that sound he heard was. Then he looks at the paper, and with the force of many men he will crumple the paper till he grunts and then proceed to launch it in the air. Suddenly the user feels good again. The paper selection can begin again.
       Paper is a wonderful thing. It is full of potential, friendship, and life itself. It may not satisfy the seven biological characteristics of life, but it definitely has more value than is currently assigned to it. The soothingness of a blank piece of paper can only be matched by one thing. It can only be matched by the soothingness of a blank piece of paper put to use.