A magnificent obsession…

I have never written about this issue before. I felt that it was time to address it. I have a problem, an addiction if you will, to pointy things. Basically a pointy thing is a paper napkin or other paper-like product fashioned into a sharp point by tightly folding the paper until the end is sharp and pointy. Pointy things are also made well from crisp sheets or a stiff cotton shirt. I know this all sounds weird and that's because it is. I emptied out the murse (man purse) this morning and discovered 22 pointy things bunched up in several pockets. Every time I go to a fast food establishment I am given more napkins than needed. I don’t throw these away-no, no. I embrace them as my own. I stash them away in the murse, a drawer, the glove compartment, etc for future use as a pointy thing. Some establishments have better quality paper products than others. Jack-in-the-Box has great, long-lasting napkins. Starbucks has really nice ones as well but the paper will tend to disintegrate after about an hours use, causing a little mess. This is typical of recycled paper but I don’t mind at all. The thicker the paper the better in most cases. The napkins at work are wonderful for making pointy things. They have about an eight hour life span then they are useless. What do I do with these pointy things you ask? Well I will tell you. I poke myself with them. I don’t know why I do this. I really do not believe that this is a nervous habit. It is just something I do and have done since I was a little boy. My mother was the one to coin the term “pointy thing.” She has washed many a pant that has come out of the dryer with a shredded PT. A washed PT can cause a little mess in the laundry especially when the paper is big like a paper towel. Speaking of…paper towels are not the best PT’s. They are thin and flimsy but make a decent substitute. Might I suggest the select-a-size versions of the paper towel? The best PT’s in my opinion are cocktail napkins. These are course in texture and make a very sharp, long-lasting PT. I love the cocktail napkins on American Airlines. I usually like to snag a few before leaving the plane so that I may savor their pointiness for later. So this is, has been, and probably will be an obsession until the day I die. I can’t help it.