Paper Trail

I was shopping in the paper goods aisle of my local supermarket the other day. I needed to purchase toilet paper and was comparing my choices. Did I want the 4 pack that was really 8 rolls, the 6 pack that was really 12 rolls or the triple sized 8 pack that was really 24 rolls. Quilted or smooth. Scented or not. Recycled or unbleached. Aloe Vera, anyone? I didn't even focus in on whether or not it was one ply or two ply. I was annoyed that purchasing toilet paper now involved math and comprehension skills. As I stood there contemplating what to do, it struck me. What ever happened to colored toilet paper? Years ago we did not have a choice in the size of the package but we did have a choice in the color. I used to buy pink or blue paper to match my bathrooms. I can't remember when the colored papers were phased out, but I do remember why. The dyes became an irritant and no one wanted to be irritated in the area that the paper was used most. We lost the freedom to decide our color, but we gained control of the sizing. I want to go back to the years when no decision making was necessary. We just threw a 4 pack into our carts and continued shopping.