Today I folded 35 mini paper cranes at work (during breaks and lulls... mostly^). At first I used any scraps of colored paper I found lying around. Later, my co-worker Erica gave me a packet of origami paper, asking for just one crane in return, which I was glad to give her. Which was very nice and generous of her.
Here's a photo of the ones I made today (with the exception described below):
To think yesterday I was happy and proud to have made 14 more in four months^-- I hope before too long I'll feel about today's photo the way I feel today about yesterday's photo^.
Finally the workday came to an end and I went out by the front door, which was somewhat unusual, since my parking spot is close to the back door. Anyway, I spotted Erica talking with Yesenia, another colleague. I started to walk past them, then went back to show them my bagful of colorful paper birds.
They were both suitably impressed and admiring, then Erica playfully said to Yesenia, "You can have one, too". O.K., I confess I was caught off-guard and a bit annoyed at first. By this time I had decided that I really was going to shoot for a thousand cranes, and I didn't want to give up a part of what was already an ongoing project; but then I felt what I can only describe as a Buddhist impulse -- I recognized that this was an opportunity to give away something I liked and wanted (as opposed to something cast-off or unwanted); so I reach into the plastic bag, grab a crane at random and hand it to Yesenia... and she exclaims -- "It's got my name on it!"
Well, both Erica and I craned (yes, it is) our necks to check it out, and sure enough, prominently visible on one wing was the name 'Yesenia'.
What are the odds? #1. I took the long way out today, instead of the usual, direct route; #2. I started to walk past the girls, then turned back to show them the origami cranes; #3. Erica impulsively decided I should give one to Yesenia; #4. at first I was not willing to give one up, but then changed my mind; #5. I grabbed a random bird out of a confused mass of nearly three dozen, the one that had Yesenia's name printed on it.
What makes it even more remarkable to my mind is the fact that Yesenia's crane was one of a pair made from opposite corners of a poster; they were mirror-twins of each other (the other twin appears at bottom center of the group photo at the top), so one might well say that from the very beginning this one crane was an extra copy, one I didn't really 'need' and could afford to give away. It's as if it were destined to go to Yesenia. How 'bout that.
Here's a photo of the ones I made today (with the exception described below):
To think yesterday I was happy and proud to have made 14 more in four months^-- I hope before too long I'll feel about today's photo the way I feel today about yesterday's photo^.
Finally the workday came to an end and I went out by the front door, which was somewhat unusual, since my parking spot is close to the back door. Anyway, I spotted Erica talking with Yesenia, another colleague. I started to walk past them, then went back to show them my bagful of colorful paper birds.
They were both suitably impressed and admiring, then Erica playfully said to Yesenia, "You can have one, too". O.K., I confess I was caught off-guard and a bit annoyed at first. By this time I had decided that I really was going to shoot for a thousand cranes, and I didn't want to give up a part of what was already an ongoing project; but then I felt what I can only describe as a Buddhist impulse -- I recognized that this was an opportunity to give away something I liked and wanted (as opposed to something cast-off or unwanted); so I reach into the plastic bag, grab a crane at random and hand it to Yesenia... and she exclaims -- "It's got my name on it!"
Well, both Erica and I craned (yes, it is) our necks to check it out, and sure enough, prominently visible on one wing was the name 'Yesenia'.
What are the odds? #1. I took the long way out today, instead of the usual, direct route; #2. I started to walk past the girls, then turned back to show them the origami cranes; #3. Erica impulsively decided I should give one to Yesenia; #4. at first I was not willing to give one up, but then changed my mind; #5. I grabbed a random bird out of a confused mass of nearly three dozen, the one that had Yesenia's name printed on it.
What makes it even more remarkable to my mind is the fact that Yesenia's crane was one of a pair made from opposite corners of a poster; they were mirror-twins of each other (the other twin appears at bottom center of the group photo at the top), so one might well say that from the very beginning this one crane was an extra copy, one I didn't really 'need' and could afford to give away. It's as if it were destined to go to Yesenia. How 'bout that.
Find one with our name on it!
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