Trapper Keeper

CLARITY: ATOMIC ELEMENTS | Moment Two Hundred Thirty-Six

​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​I started high school armed
​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​with a Trapper Keeper

​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​It was my favorite.
​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​It kept my schedule
​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​my notes,
​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​my homework sheets,
​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​my writings,
​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​my drawings,
​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​my pens,
​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​my pencils,
​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​my calculator,
​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​my—everything,
​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​in one place.
​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​Literally at my fingertips.

​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​As long as I didn’t drop it
​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​those little Velcro tabs
​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​kept everything trapped.
​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​A tight bundle
​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​I could drop
​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​in my locker during lunch
​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​or on my bed
​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​when I got home
​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​at night.

​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​I could navigate it half-asleep
​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​my fingers gliding
​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​over its sleek cool plastic covers
​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​and thick plastic edges
​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​its folders
​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​its rings
​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​its pages
​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​and pockets.
​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​No time wasted.
​ ​ ​​​ ​​ ​ ​​​ ​I was ready to learn.

ChatGPT imagined the moment. As you can see, the AI still doesn’t quite understand the structure of a Trapper Keeper. This colorized image is based on a real photo that appears in our 1989 yearbook. Find out more later today in Behind the Moment.