# The Humble Pen In virtually every space, whether it be a classroom, office, grocery store, or even factory, there lies a stick of magic. Its secret is in its simplicity. Without them, the world would be a much more confusing place, without the ability to conjure up ideas from thought to language, forever frozen on a sheet of paper. The magic wand I am speaking of, is the humble pen. Pens should not be an afterthought, and it never was in Jennifer's family. Most of us are used to being intentional about things like the clothes we wear, the hair we style, and the words we say. The intention to choose stops short of your writing utensil, especially in the day to day of the bustling world. For Jennifer, a pen is a purposeful device, a tool to be respected, hence why she is the third generation daughter to have her Grandma Shirley's ballpoint [[Waterman Paris]]. "When you pick up a pen, you're choosing a device that will capture your thoughts; a version of yourself that was only kept alive through your voice is now about to be married with a sheet of paper, preserving your mere existence, or at least a slice of it. Why would something as intimate and personal as that be left to an afterthought?" It's hard to argue with that. ![[88A174E8-F68A-42E2-A290-8929A582A1F5.jpg|200]] "The pen to me represents something more than just jotting down a quick grocery list. If something is going to be representative of you, or help you in expressing yourself, it should have a meaning behind it. I also feel that by my grandma being obsessed with her pen choices all those years ago, it taught me how to embrace things in life that most others miss. It's important to be mindful of the things we do, how we do them, and what and/or who we do them with." The next time you see a pen, however mundane it may appear, you'll be sure to wonder what stories that pen has captured, and what's in store for its next beat. %% insert your collection of pens here? pictures and all? %%