Writing with pen

For as long as I can remember I have always had preferences when it comes to pens. Fine tip. Blue ink. All pens are not created equal though and it took a while to settle on my implement of choice which is the Pentel R.S.V.P., blue ink, fine tip (of course) and I’ve used them for years. Unfortunately as things go with pens everywhere, they have a penchant to go missing often and sometimes second or third best will have to do.

I’ve decided to return to morning pages and a pen is required for this activity. I needed something strong and solid to capture the muddle of thoughts I have after being released from a job I’ve held for nearly nine years. I have never been quite in this position before. I am a long and loyal employee and only left my previous employer of 20 years after much hand-wringing and emotional cross-examination.

To be honest, it’s a shock to be let go even when you have long since felt passion about the job you were doing. The whole process felt surreal but the first day ended with a lot of hope and relief on my part. I will be okay. Better than okay. But this is not a story about losing a job, but of losing a pen. I cannot locate a single Pentel R.S.V.P. though I used to have them hidden around the house in drawers so no one would poach them on me. All my hiding places have come up empty.

Second best came in the form of a pen Liam bought on a trip to the 9/11 Memorial and Museum last spring. It’s a hefty pen with solid black ink that is ready to tell a story. And it will over the course of the week as I mull over what’s happened. Where I’ve been and where I’m going. I pulled out my last journal from morning page writing and it has been way too long since I have let this activity lapse.

There was a time when I thought I’d go fancy in the pen department. I did a ton of research on “nicer” pens that fit my blue ink, fine tip requirements that stayed under the $100 mark. I scoured reviews on Amazon, put items in my cart only to remove them in preference of something else. I ended up with a Waterman Hemisphere but the ink, while blue, was not fine tip. My husband left it at JFK Airport after filling out a tag for his luggage, so lucky the person who used that table to fill out their own forms, they got themselves a $50 pen.

Of course, I couldn’t stop mentioning this during our vacation and he had another shipped to me before we were home 10 days later. I lost it almost right away but I’m sure it’s here somewhere. I have plenty of time to find it.

MC