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“In middle school, my crush, like that I liked like a lot. He would make paper cranes. 
And he would make them at like, every single class in the back of the classroom. And I remember being like one day like, “oh, you should, like, teach me how to make the paper cream, you know, whatever. And so I learned, but then he made one that was, like, really good and he’s like, no, you can have it.” 
And so he gave it to me, and I still have it today. It’s on my, it’s on my shelf, in my home. 
And like my home is kind of like a childhood, like my shelf is like a collection of my childhood. Like I have all these little things, but I still have that crane. And then I tried to make it just now, and it came out as a boat. 
And I think I’m like halfway there. But like the memory’s in there. Like, my hands are kind of just doing stuff. That’s the story.”

Context
AI tells a story about learning how to make a paper crane from a boy that AI liked in middle school, as well as her memory of him giving them a paper crane that he made, which AI has kept to this day. In attempts to make a paper crane from memory, AI says that she doesn’t remember exactly how to do it, but still remembers bits and pieces of the process.

Analysis
Paper cranes are a form of material culture and folk art that carry a lot of meaning such as peace, healing, and hope. They’re also a form of origami/paper folding creations like paper airplanes and fortune tellers that are taught to kids as ways to play and be creative. In AI’s story, the meaning and value of a paper crane come from the physical representation of a strong memory she had with her crush, and the fact that she still has the same paper crane so many years later shows the power and value of this specific moment in her life, and how materials are able to carry memories and meanings. AI’s story highlights Witzling’s idea that handmade objects can communicate through form, materials, and social context. AI’s crush was able to teach and create an endearing moment through gifting the paper crane and paper cranes have embodied these childhood moments and feelings for AI ever since.