“Do you have a pen I could borrow?”
I looked around my work space and there was nothing. I opened my laptop bag and I came up empty. Not a pen or pencil in sight.
Thinking about it, it’s not that often that I use a pen or pencil anymore. If I need to take notes during a meeting, I whip out the laptop or iPad. If I need to remind myself to do something, I add it to the “To Do” list on my iPhone. I don’t write checks to pay bills, as I do that through online banking. Forget addressing envelopes, if I need to get something to someone, I do it either by email or fax.
The only time I could think that I use a pen is when I need to sign my name on a credit card receipt.
What used to be something you carried around with you in your shirt pocket or in your purse is now relegated to the junk drawer in the kitchen.
Thank you technology.
I remember living at home, answering the phone and saying to the caller on the other end, “let me grab a pen and I’ll take a message.” No need to jot down phone messages any more, voice mail took the ink out of that quill.
Forget pencils. Those forest killing, number 2’s that we all used to fill in circles that eventually told us how smart we were or weren’t had their obituary written long ago. They’ve been replaced by mechanical, plastic types without death inducing lead.
Office supply stores still stock a variety of pens and faux-pencils but I can’t imagine sales are brisk.
I got a Waterman for Christmas a few years ago, and it’s a beauty. Although there’s not much reason to use it anymore. My father always had a gold Cross pen that he would use. I think that was his pen of choice because of the lifetime warranty, I remember him getting several replacements over the years.
My personal favorite pen was always the Bic Biro. Plain white barrel, medium point, blue ink. My least favorite pen was always a Papermate. The ink always smudged leaving the side of pinky finger inky.
Has the pen disappeared from your life, or have I just become too connected?