What are your Top 3 Pieces of Paper?

Imagine this. You have three minutes or less to pack. And there’s only one rule: Bring what you like, but only take 3 pieces of paper. In those few moments, what would you bring?

For some, the answer is clear. Pictures, homemade cards and autographs would fill the space. But for others, the practical essentials are a top priority. No matter your choice, the majority of Americans said these three pieces of paper were the most important.

What’s in the Bag?

Okay, so your bag might include a special photo, homemade card or art project. But what about other Americans, what three pieces of paper are they bringing, and how do you compare? A surveyed asked 1,000 U.S. adults about their favorite pieces of paper, and the results were interesting.

Responses ranged from medical records to important stock certificates. But there were a few common patterns.

Birth certificate
The majority of Americans wanted to bring their birth certificate. After all, this little piece of paper is required for the basics – like getting a driver’s license and securing a passport. The original purpose of birth certificates were tax related, and to determine the available military manpower. Rather than registering the certificates with the government, the documents were registered with churches until the 19^th century.

Marriage License
They also agreed that a marriage license is pretty important. Similar to the birth certificate, this document is sometimes needed for identification purposes, especially for females who elect to change their last name. The history of marriage licenses, however, wasn’t always so formal. For most of Western history, marriage was a private contract between two families. And until the 16^th century, many churches accepted a marriage based on two people saying they had exchanged vows – without any witnesses.

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Social security card
And finally, Americans said they aren’t leaving home without their social security card – which by the way didn’t even exist until 1936. The original purpose of the social security card was to track an individuals’ account within the Social Security program. But since its inception, social security numbers transitioned into a tax and identification role. Up until 1986, people didn’t even receive a social security number until age 14, since the numbers were used to track income.

What are your three most important pieces of paper? 
Are they official documents, like the ones listed above? Or would you take the less traveled road, and pack photos, diplomas or other keepsakes?
Please share by leaving a comment below. 

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