I reached across the desk for the stapler, carefully positioned the papers, and squeezed. Nothing. The stapler was empty.

So I reached into the drawer and took out the plastic box of staples. I was amazed that there were only five strips left. I checked the drawer. No strips had fallen out.

There are 5,000 staples to a box. 210 staples to a strip...and, having put a strip into the stapler, only four strips left.

I remember when I got the box. It was 4,000 staples ago. That is amazing to me. Seems like a lot of stapling. I never would have guessed that I do that much stapling. I thought of myself as more of a paper clip person.