[Pen/Pencil Blog] Hoard vs. Collection
Today is a pen related blog… not really a review but a pen blog on a Monday during a crazy early summer of traveling mostly for business. Have fun with this. I’ve written an essay in the past about being a “Practical” pen person rather than a collector. I don’t take care of pens the way a true collector might. I use everything I get don’t discriminate against brand, type, expensive-ness. I’ve been to TWO conferences in the past 4 weeks…here’s the fistful of pens I brought back.
The promo pens from two conferences.
(There was a half sentence in here originally that I have no idea what I was saying, so…) Jimmy collects a specific pencil. It’s not just a mess from across the country. But it’s a true COLLECTION. In fact, there have been changes to my house so he can organize and display his Pentel Pencils when I’ve come home from Day Job Conferences. First shelves then lighting. We’re an LED family now.
Jimmy’s well organized (and now lit) collection.
This is a COLLECTION. So how’s this different from what I have? Take a look… the first weekend of June I dumped my BOX of pens (and not all of them…just most) and decided to at least sort them by brand/manufacturer and put them in ziploc bags. Then I can slowly (oh, so slowly) figure out what I have reviewed. What I haven’t. What I might want to do with some of this stuff. This is a thinned hoard too. A couple of years ago I culled the lot and donated stuff to teachers and organizations that might have use for writing instruments. Because wow.
My Hoard
I DO NOT have a collection. I have a hoard. I have a plethora. Okay, let’s face it. I have an EMBARRASSMENT of pens (sorry, not sorry). This is why everything I do with ink and pencil seems so incredibly random. There’s no rhyme or reason to what I do, not like with Jimmy or other collectors. And it’s not wrong (a problem maybe, but not wrong). I’d like to say that I can stop at anytime, but you’d all hurt yourselves laughing. I can’t give up pens any more than I can give up coffee or breathing (though during allergy season the breathing thing seem to think its optional).
More of the hoard.
And the world needs us both. The Collector and the Enthusiast. The collector can tell you the minute aspects of one kind of pen or pencil – Jimmy’s documenting every style change of the Pentel P205. Me? I can tell you which ball point pen may not smear in your shiny new journal. We each have our strengths that bring value to this Wonderful World of Writing Instruments. Will anyone care in the future? Maybe. Maybe not. But it makes us happy, and that’s all that really matters. So find the thing – the pen, the pencil, the marker or crayon or some other thing that makes you happy and be happy.