Samantha Bradshaw
The Smaller Act of a Sticky Note
Sticky notes have existed for a long time, but no definitive way to use them exists. I have purchased sticky notes at the beginning of every school year since elementary school- “just because.” Found in a drawer of every desk in my house, they come in many colors and styles. I have yellow, pink, blue, and purple classic sticky notes. I also own sticky note tabs. I favor these because I use them as bookmarks and labels in my notebook. I do not give much importance to sticky notes because I don’t find them essential, yet I admit they function very well in a diverse range of ways.
Inventor Spencer Silver created the original sticky note by accident. Coby Skonard of Ideawake claims that Silver intended to create an adhesive for aircraft, but the product of his creations proved too weak. His adhesive removed from the surface without leaving a residue but did not achieve the purpose Silver desired. He deemed his invention pointless. Art Fry, who worked with Silver, decided that sticky notes should undergo production for consumers. He discovered the potential of the sticky notes when he realized they could function as a bookmark in his Bible.
Once the sticky note went into distribution, it didn’t attract popularity right away. In fact, it proved rather unsuccessful. The idea of how to use the product seemed so abstract for people that customers didn’t buy them. The company that produced sticky notes- 3M- handled this failure by sending free samples to major companies. Most businesses ended up repurchasing, and the sticky note grew to its popularity today.
I have no use for sticky notes on a regular basis. But, my parents do. Since my early childhood, whenever my parents would go anywhere, they would leave me a sticky note. It would say their location and what time they would return home. My parents would always sign off with “I love you.” The notes expanded beyond that purpose, though. Occasionally, I would get a sticky note that read “good morning,” “good luck on your test,” or “happy birthday” hidden in my lunch box. I loved these notes so much. In fact, I refused to throw them away. In my room there exists a collection of sticky notes I have received. They rest in a box below my bed, and the stash continues to grow.
Both my mom and my dad gave me notes. Sometimes they wrote them for me together, but frequently my mom and dad gave me separate sticky notes. Beyond their extremely different handwriting, I can tell who wrote me the notes based on how they
sign off. My mom always leaves an “xoxo” and two colored-in hearts. My dad always draws a little picture of himself. Going downstairs in the morning to see a little sticky note at my seat makes me happy every single time. Any given day, I walk down the stairs into a kitchen that smells of baked bread and flower candles to see the colorful square stuck on the counter. Reading each note a few times, just to appreciate it, I will play with the corners- folding or rolling them over. I’ll feel the soft paper between my fingertips as a smile takes over my face.
My appreciation of sticky notes means something deeper than just feeling loved by my parents. I think it stands as a representation of the weight that small acts of kindness hold. I do not gain any physical value by receiving the notes, yet it means more to me than if I received a tangible thing. Today, people absorb themselves in materialism. Social media influences people to overconsume. The worth of abstract things become shadowed by the obsession to acquire tangible things. The importance of kindness far outweighs that of anything bought with money. Receiving an act often means more than consumption of something material- but doesn’t get sought for in the same way. Efforts of kindness bring satisfaction for both people- appreciation on the receiving end and fulfillment for who gives it out.
I am only seventeen. I know that I have many more experiences to live through before I can truly understand what “makes this world go round.” But, I believe that I know what really matters in this world. I know how it feels when I am treated with kindness, and I am also familiar with how it feels to treat somebody with affection. They both bring fulfillment and prove essential to human connection and relationships.
If only people focused more on what they could do for others and bring to this world versus what they can show off, I think this world could become a better place. I give sticky notes four and a half stars.
The Smaller Act of a Sticky Note
Sticky notes have existed for a long time, but no definitive way to use them exists. I have purchased sticky notes at the beginning of every school year since elementary school- “just because.” Found in a drawer of every desk in my house, they come in many colors and styles. I have yellow, pink, blue, and purple classic sticky notes. I also own sticky note tabs. I favor these because I use them as bookmarks and labels in my notebook. I do not give much importance to sticky notes because I don’t find them essential, yet I admit they function very well in a diverse range of ways.
Inventor Spencer Silver created the original sticky note by accident. Coby Skonard of Ideawake claims that Silver intended to create an adhesive for aircraft, but the product of his creations proved too weak. His adhesive removed from the surface without leaving a residue but did not achieve the purpose Silver desired. He deemed his invention pointless. Art Fry, who worked with Silver, decided that sticky notes should undergo production for consumers. He discovered the potential of the sticky notes when he realized they could function as a bookmark in his Bible.
Once the sticky note went into distribution, it didn’t attract popularity right away. In fact, it proved rather unsuccessful. The idea of how to use the product seemed so abstract for people that customers didn’t buy them. The company that produced sticky notes- 3M- handled this failure by sending free samples to major companies. Most businesses ended up repurchasing, and the sticky note grew to its popularity today.
I have no use for sticky notes on a regular basis. But, my parents do. Since my early childhood, whenever my parents would go anywhere, they would leave me a sticky note. It would say their location and what time they would return home. My parents would always sign off with “I love you.” The notes expanded beyond that purpose, though. Occasionally, I would get a sticky note that read “good morning,” “good luck on your test,” or “happy birthday” hidden in my lunch box. I loved these notes so much. In fact, I refused to throw them away. In my room there exists a collection of sticky notes I have received. They rest in a box below my bed, and the stash continues to grow.
Both my mom and my dad gave me notes. Sometimes they wrote them for me together, but frequently my mom and dad gave me separate sticky notes. Beyond their extremely different handwriting, I can tell who wrote me the notes based on how they
sign off. My mom always leaves an “xoxo” and two colored-in hearts. My dad always draws a little picture of himself. Going downstairs in the morning to see a little sticky note at my seat makes me happy every single time. Any given day, I walk down the stairs into a kitchen that smells of baked bread and flower candles to see the colorful square stuck on the counter. Reading each note a few times, just to appreciate it, I will play with the corners- folding or rolling them over. I’ll feel the soft paper between my fingertips as a smile takes over my face.
My appreciation of sticky notes means something deeper than just feeling loved by my parents. I think it stands as a representation of the weight that small acts of kindness hold. I do not gain any physical value by receiving the notes, yet it means more to me than if I received a tangible thing. Today, people absorb themselves in materialism. Social media influences people to overconsume. The worth of abstract things become shadowed by the obsession to acquire tangible things. The importance of kindness far outweighs that of anything bought with money. Receiving an act often means more than consumption of something material- but doesn’t get sought for in the same way. Efforts of kindness bring satisfaction for both people- appreciation on the receiving end and fulfillment for who gives it out.
I am only seventeen. I know that I have many more experiences to live through before I can truly understand what “makes this world go round.” But, I believe that I know what really matters in this world. I know how it feels when I am treated with kindness, and I am also familiar with how it feels to treat somebody with affection. They both bring fulfillment and prove essential to human connection and relationships.
If only people focused more on what they could do for others and bring to this world versus what they can show off, I think this world could become a better place. I give sticky notes four and a half stars.