Inspired By A Pen

You can have your high-tech laptops and computers with jounaling software. I've gone retro- a bit of old school.

I recently acquired an old fashioned fountain pen. I was inspired by a chapter of Don Whitney's book, "Simplify Your Spiritual Life." In the chapter, "Journal With A Fountain Pen," he wrote:

"I ENJOY WRITING IN MY JOURNAL WITH A FOUNTAIN PEN. Yes, an old fashioned fountain pen. And whether a new model or a vintage pen, with a stiff nib or a flexible one, a good fountain pen is a pleasure to write with. Even the ritual of pausing to draw ink from a bottle can bring a sense of nostalgic satisfaction in our high-tech, efficiency-driven world. I commend this method of journal writing to you." (p. 104)

I have since discovered that there are even journals designed especially to be written upon with a fountain pen.

I got the pen this week. It came in a fancy box with an hinged top, an extra cartridge, and a leather case. Talk about classy! I also got two bottles of ink. I should be writing for a while.

It was a joy to take the nib, plunge it into the inkwell and draw up the inky blue substance out of which come words, thoughts, and feelings. I got a bit of this inspiration on my fingers in the process, but that is just a part of it.

Instantly I was taken back to the fifth grade. Everyone in my class, it seems, wrote with the Schaeffer fountain pens that required prefilled cartridges to be inserted in the barrel. They were messy. If you were mischievous, (not me!) you could even sling the pen and make ink fly onto some hapless victim- but not with the teacher looking! I remembered the long days of writing essays and coming away with inky fingers. Ah, the days!

After I filled my pen, I proceeded to write my first thank you note to my friend, Carolyn, at United Office Supply who helped me acquire it.

If am careful, it makes no mess. I really like this pen. I especially like the scratching sounds it makes when I write. Somehow I enjoy these sounds more than simply hearing the keys clicking on my computer keyboard. What a joy to write this way! Some have suggested that writing with a fountain pen improves penmanship. The jury is still out on that for me. Perhaps this is an idea for physicians!

A good fountain pen is not cheap, but it is worth it. Modern technology cannot replace writing the old fashioned way- with a bottle of ink and a good fountain pen in hand.

I'd sign my name to this post, but the screen won't take the ink.