Dan Russell @danruss: what’s with the excessive use of the waiter’s pad?
ANSWER:
Ahh, the waiters pad. You know how Thor has his hammer? And the Green Lantern has his ring? And…I don’t know, Wonder Woman has her lasso? I have my waiter’s pad.
I love a good waiter’s pad. It makes my mind burst with ideas even looking at one. I have one in my pocket right now and about three surrounding this computer. In my closet I have 100s of empty, unopened ones. I bought them for 10 cents each at some restaurant supplies website. Whenever I open my closet (on the 1 or 2 days a week I change my clothes) I see those pads and chest starts to thump thump. I can see myself with a new pad, a pen, scratching out the first lines on that pad.
So what is the big deal. Why the excessive use. Almost addictive use.
Waiter’s pad is perfect size to write down a list of ideas. It’s also too small to rant too much on any one idea. It’s made for listing. Nothing more.
It fits in your shirt pocket. It fits in the pants pocket. It fits anywhere.
If I’m in a meeting and everyone is pulling out their expensive pads with binders and laminations and stars and pictures of Hannah Montana, etc and I pull out my waiter’s pad, its a conversation starter. I’m shy in a meeting. I need all the help I can get.
It’s cheap. 10 cents a pad TOPS. So let’s say I’m raising money. People can see that I’m frugal with how I spend.
If I’m in a restaurant writing notes on my pad then waiters think I’m “in the club” so I get treated well.
It’s got table shape at the top so if I’m in a meeting I can write down the names of the people around the table. Helps me to remember who I met with.
It’s funny. I like finding orphan uses for objects that were made for completely different use.