Have you noticed how the school supply lists have changed in recent years? School starts next week (in our region) and I always marvel at how different the lists are from when I was a kid. Paper, crayons, folders and scissors are still on the list. Glue sticks have replaced the paste. Remember paste? My kids don’t even know what it is!
No, today’s kids need USB flash drives.
Kids are also asked to bring in disinfecting wipes and hand sanitzer for the classroom. Do you suppose this trend has affected the number of days kids miss due to illness? I kind of doubt it. But, at least no one is missing school because of tummy-aches due to eating too much paste.
Have you seen the stretchy book covers that kids use now? Do you remember how we spent the first minutes of class making book covers from a brown paper bags? We spent the rest of the year decorating them and also protecting them from our neighbors who would be quick to scrawl “Karen loves so and so” on the cover when you weren’t looking. 
This has gotten me thinking about what types of “supplies” I need as a writer. Here’s a few of the things I put on my list. What’s on yours?
- Laptop (I know you can write without one, but I love the freedom it offers).
- Coffee and chocolate
- Google (for historical research)
- Facebook (for networking and marketing)
- iPod–I use mine for inspiration and to block out distracting noise.
- Laptop desk. Keeps your legs from getting toasted when away from a real table-top.
- Bible-Gateway.com. A great resource for quickly finding bible verses and references.
Just like the current school supply lists, I realize that my list differs greatly from what someone would have needed twenty or thirty years ago. Let’s see…typewriter ribbon? White-out? Reams of paper? Stamps?
Hmmm. Now that I think about it…I’m awfully glad that times have changed.
So, what’s on YOUR list? You might not be a writer…but what’s neccessary to get your daily tasks done? What kind of weird supplies does your school request?