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By Hand

from the fountain pen of George Terrill

By hand

 by George Terrill

 

Okay, this is not rocket science. Really, it isn’t. We are on this site because we like our fountain pens. We like them enough to spend our money to buy one. Or two. Or five. Or fifty. Before you saw it coming, you have a small collection. You are now a Collector. Yeah, it’s official. It just happened while you weren’t looking.

You saw a pretty pen. It was beautiful…and then you saw the price. Not bad. I can do that. You bought it. There was love and peace in the world. The pen arrived and you eagerly removed the wrapping. So nice! I can write with this thing! You bought ink and filled the pen. You wrote, just to see how it feels…with ink…on paper. In your admiration of the pen, maybe you missed the energy of its previous location and owner.

Most of us got into this for a combination of reasons. Communication with others was probably not the main reason. We bought a piece of art we could not only afford, but we could hold it in our hands. We can experience the feel of it in our hand every day. We could interact with a piece of art, and actually, a piece of history, since each one is eventually discontinued. Not to mention its much less expensive than collecting cars, horses or airplanes, and you can have a decent collection even if you don’t have a garage.

Since things don’t tend to exist without a purpose, what’s the purpose of a fountain pen? Arguably, to provide a more permanent record of things than pencil or stylus on a clay tablet. Dip pens, and later, fountain pens were used to create documents and drawings.  Locally at first, then over distance. It surely was not for beauty, since the first attempts were pretty basic. Even black hard rubber pens were far from elegant. Finally, the variety of materials and colors available today are used to create some stunning designs.

Most common uses of the fountain pens were medical, business, schools, legal systems and personal communication. Texting on paper, what a concept! Everyone used fountain pens to write whatever needed to be written, because except for pencils, that’s all there was. Everyone that went to school learned penmanship, because lovely, flowing script of perfectly formed letters was not built into the pens of the age. Even in today’s day of electronic paper, it isn’t. Yet everyone used fountain pens. Everyone wrote letters. Some printed because they did not learn to flowing script that others picked up easily, but they wrote letters just the same. Letters were their phone calls, their emails, instant messaging and the texting of the day. Fountain pens were the instrument of the day. Owning one was not a status symbol, nor was it art for your wall. It was you communication with family, friends and business associates.

You have a fountain pen. You wanted one and now you have one. Probably more than one. You have paper, envelopes and stamps. By now, you discovered that a fountain pen, by itself, does not make your handwriting any prettier. Sorry about that, but that’s just the way it is. Get over it.

When you open your mailbox and flip through the bills and promotional fluff, see one with your address written by hand. Now, which one are you going to open first?

Someone cares enough about you to take the time to sit down and personally write you a letter. BY HAND. Not texting while driving, or at the movies, or calling you while they’re eating lunch. They took time, no, they made time for you. They chose to honor you.

If you like to open a personal letter, guess what? We all do. Especially in today’s world of automated mass mailings, a hand written letter is that much more precious.

Who would you write to? Do you have parents? Grandparents? Children or grandchildren out of town? There are several people on the Pentrace snail mail list that would gladly Write back to you. OMG! What then? PANIC! It ain’t the end of the world, just the end of the letter. Just write back to them.

But, but, but, but, what will I write about? I don’t know what to write!

Well, the obvious opener is to write about the pen in your hand. Then the pen you bought last or the one on your wish list. You can also write about paper preferences and ink preferences. There is a discussion about favorite types of pens- plastic, metal, lever filler, etc. You can write about the rain or lack of it. Are you listening to music as you write? Having tea? Writing inside at a table or on the porch? Are you looking for a certain color of ink?

I am a married male and I write to other males. I am not looking for anything beyond a back porch conversation, in ink, on paper. Just because I write letters to someone does not mean I agree with everything they say, nor does it mean I am seeking a relationship.

Our script is not perfct. We forget to dot our I, and we misspell. Sometimes on purpose. We become friends while we write with our nice pointed sticks. I have met only one of my pen pals. He happens to live in the same city. I would like to meet another, one day. We would have coffee and chat for a couple hours, as friends do, then go back to our own worlds, enriched by the experience.

From my penpals I have learned where to get my pens repaired, paper and ink combinations to avoid, as well as a fair bit about a couple foreign countries. I have also seen some wonderful creativity.

I bet at least three people would love to see your letter in their mailbox. Write them. It’s cheap therapy.

 

 

 © 2016 George Terrill - all rights reserved

 
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