This Pen Will Change Your Life
Is that too far? I actually don’t think so. I think we expect life changing devices and moments to be the actual corner we walk around to become different and better people on the other side. Save for maybe a near death experience, they are more often stones on a path and for the improvement minded the real joy is in discovering there is no corner.
So, yes, I do believe something as simple as a pen that brings joy to otherwise mundane tasks can change your life for the better. Taking some of the stress that might otherwise stay with you all day out of signing a rent check or adding confidence and happiness to a card you’re filling out for a loved one. Even writing your shopping or to-do list for the day. If you’ve ever taken a class on public speaking you undoubtedly learned how changing your posture or stance literally changes your mood and what you project. The right pen can do just that.
I didn’t really have a thing for pens before. Truthfully my handwriting is pretty bad and I hold a pen or pencil like a kindergartner, like one near the beginning of the year before they teach you how to hold it properly. But the first time I saw a Kaweco pen (the Sport Rollerball in Fox to be exact) in a shop I fell in love. I loved the shape and the compact design and the colors were incredible. I had to buy one on the spot.
Whatever the next gifting occasion was after that, I had to add it to my wife’s gift as I’d gotten so much joy out of using mine. Since then they have become one of my go-to gifts. They feel fancy (especially the fountain pens) but not in a tacky way and super utilitarian at the same time. It's something you know the person will love and use regularly if not daily.
I love finding seemingly mundane objects, swapping them out for something well designed that makes me happy, and staying conscious of the cumulative impact these changes have on my life. I would have never known something as simple a pen could have had such a big impact. I think my handwriting has even gotten a little better.