That’s the line Tom Hanks fed Meg Ryan in 1998’s hit movie "You’ve Got Mail" and today over a decade later, I still feel the same way Tom Hanks did. In fact, I wish I had everyone's mailing address that reads my blog so I could send each and every one of you a bouquet of newly sharpened pencils swaddled in a big, red ribbon with a tiny note attached. The smooth wood shavings, that glossy yellow paint. What is there not to love about the #2? Ahh, I can almost smell the sweet scent of that soft eraser tip. It's not quite the same high I get from inhaling Elmer's Rubber Cement glue, or the fresh paper and ink combo of a first edition text book, but a Pink Pet eraser is enchanting and intoxicating in its own right. My childhood memories of shopping for back-to-school supplies seem to be closely tied to scent and sound. And when it comes to sounds, three noises have stuck in my head all these years - the binder cracking on my Pre-Algebra book, the hollow metal echo of my middle school locker closing and of course the Velcro tear of my coveted Trapper Keeper!
God how I loved my Trapper Keeper and miss you so! Other than the latest pair of Nikes, you were the one MUST HAVE back-to-school necessity that actually made me feel "ok" with starting a new school year every fall. While all my friends and both my sisters moaned and groaned about going back to school, I was secretly excited...for one reason and one reason only. It meant I got to pick out a new Trapper Keeper! I would do my best to keep it as pristine and as clean as the day my Mom bought it at K-Mart. Tucked tightly in the hook of my arm, I stood proudly at the school bus stop. In the 6th grade, I might not have been able to claim the prestigious backseat half-seat on Old Yeller, but I laid my claim to my plastic, paint splashed Trapper Keeper.
Now if for some reason you had a sheltered childhood and you aren't aware what a Trapper Keeper is, let me explain. A Trapper Keeper was a brand of loose-leaf binders created by Mead in the 80s and early 90s. It featured sliding plastic rings, folders/pockets to keep schoolwork, a zippered pencil case, and a wraparound flap with a Velcro closure. (To this day, the little kid inside of me is excited just reminiscing and writing that!) Trapper Keepers usually had a theme, such as a cartoon, television show, or video game. They later introduced "Designer Series" Trapper Keepers (seen above) that featured abstract designs - very 80s, very fancy, and very cool! Aside from a Trapper Keeper making you a totally awesome 80s kid, it was also very handy because the best part of a Trapper Keeper was its design. The Trapper Keeper prevented papers from falling out no matter how you dropped, kicked or threw it. So even if you were a nerd who had his school books shoved out of his hands and tossed down the hall, you didn't have to fear. The Trapper Keeper had your back. Upon retrieval, all your homework was still neatly intact.
As you see, the Trapper Keeper was everyone's friend. It didn't care if you were the captain of the midgets football team or a member of the school's glee club, Trapper Keeper was your BFF! It was by your side when you got your first pimple. It was by your side when your voice began to change like Peter Brady. It was by your side when you put on your first training bra and it was by your side when you got your first period. Yes, the Trapper Keeper - a friend to all, a foe to none. Without you my childhood would not have been the same. And if the old skool Trapper Keeper was still in production today, I would immediately dump all the contents of my messenger bag in favor of you.
It’s the childhood back-to-school supply that trapped and kept my heart all these years. Trapper Keeper, you completed me.
***NOTE***
Related post of interest...
10/28/07 20 Years Later & I Still Want Him Sooo Bad!
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