Daily Prompt: A Mystery Wrapped in an Engima
Tell us something most people probably don’t know about you.
Photographers, artists, poets: show us MYSTERIOUS.
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First my confession: I love fountain pens, since a very young age… it makes much more sense to me than any ballpoint pen. And they don’t get pinched by my kiddies…
I have not been trapped in a time warp, and did not get stuck in an ancient age full of primitive technology. I love the electronic age. I love the speed of email, the immediate sharing of knowledge available on the web.
But somewhere along the way we have lost something… the old art of good penmanship. Using a pen and paper. And not the ballpoint pen… no, the old fashioned, old school Fountain Pen…
Just 6 of my collection, mostly Parker pens that I could lay my hands on quickly for this blog…
Some things in life are just not worth messing up with a computer and printer. There is still something amazing in the use of good quality old style writing equipment- anyone can print anything beautifully from a computer- and it just goes into the recycle bin after scanning the message quickly… But there is something beautiful in handwriting:
You just do not send your loved one a love letter on a sms (text) or email. That is why the Good Lord invented good quality paper and fountain pens… Some things need to have a piece of your soul in it. Your hands need to become a little bit dirty in the process.
gogirlcafe.jennyo.net
I love my blog, it gives me the opportunity to share my life with so many friends across the world. But there is another dimension of sharing your life. It is so good to have a good quality journal, with the high points of your life, written in your own hand, that tells the story of your life journey to you on lonely nights. It is such an awesome legacy to leave to your loved ones when you are going through the river Jordan/Stix/ Ganges at the end of your life. Provided, of course, that you lived your life not for yourself, but you gave your love, your energy, your time, your sweat and tears to those around you. Live a life worth living, and write down the journey, then it will be a treasure to leave behind!
This image comes from the beautiful blog: fiskemiles.blogspot.com
Writing a journal with a fountain pen gives you the time to live consciously. To treasure every day, and to grab every opportunity to make a worthy entry into your journal, stating: Today, I was ALIVE!
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Links: My Fathers Pen– Good instructions on how to use a fountain pen. Here you can also find some useful troubleshooting tips when your pen is not functioning properly…..
http://scheong.wordpress.com/2010/02/16/a-beginners-guide-to-the-fountain-pen/ For a good description of your fountain pen, and how to take care of it.
http://newformen.blogspot.com/2007/07/your-fountain-pen.html–
The Rider 
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Thanks for your lovely post Michelle! I’ve shared it with my friends on my fountain pen Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/HisNibs1, where we care about such things! 🙂
Michelle is the lady from WordPress thinking out all the Daily Prompts. But thanks for the Share on facebook- your page looks lovely!
My dear, you mention kiddies, so you’re younger than I am. Ergo, you do not remember the school days and dipping ink in the well. I was at the tail end of things. I have to tell you, those fountain pens affected me and not in a good way. Inky fingers, splotchy pages, tears in the pages because I tend to press hard, you name it, I had problems with it. I understand about the romance of the fountain pen, but the reality is something else altogether. Viva le biro! 🙂
Yes- we went to school with first pencil and later biro. I got a hiding from the principal in Grade 1 for bad writing, so I wouldn’t even want to imagine what would happen if it was the days of the fountain pen. So sorry I triggered your bad memories… 🙂
Crikey, a hiding from your principal for bad writing. I’m glad I wasn’t at your school. I took up typing as soon as I could. If you’ve ever seen a chicken do a tarantella across a blank page and leave scratch marks, you know what my writing looks like. 🙂
I have a Lamy and a Kaweco. I’m just starting out. A late starter 🙂
I never heard of those before, not sure if they are imported to SA. But it can also be my own ignorance- I have the 5 Parkers, and some cheapies too. I nearly fainted when I saw what a Mont Blanc pen could cost!
Lamy and Kaweco are both German brands, about the same cost as a Parker but definitely not in the one pound range. 🙂 I think the Mont Blanc is overrated.
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Your writing is beautiful!
Thanks! But all these are from google… I don’t have a working scanner at the moment to put my own handwriting on display… but in Grade 1 I did get a hiding at school for my ugly writing- it is sometimes a little bit better than that! 🙂
Ah, I see. I’m sure your actual hand writing is beautiful too 🙂
For years I used fountainpens, the genuine ones which you have to refill yourself.My handwriting is much better with a fountainpen.But I cannot have them repeired when they break down..So I write with a Stabilo gelpen now. I t is good, but..I still miss the fountainpen.
Still good to write something now and then with one of the fountain pens- the bottom one I bought at Woolworths in England for about one pound…
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My dad still uses his fountain pen but also loves his tech! He’s an Apple man or what I often refer to as an apple-tart; iPod, iPhone, iPad………
Best of both worlds- it is not “either/or” but “and…”
Absolutely! I still love my film cameras though they’re not practical for a photo-a-day blog 😉
I have recently returned to using a cartridge ink pen with a good nib and I am so pleased I did. It improves my dreadful writing no end and is simply lovely to write with. So for me it went away but now it is back. Good interesting post I agree with. MM ✒
Thanks! Enjoy writing!
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Ink is great, but unfortunately I am left-handed and too prone to smearing…
Then you must write in Hebrew or Arabic… 🙂
🙂
I am a huge fan of snail mail, if only my hand writing could look THAT good. I may need to look into getting one of these pens!
Still not my own handwriting! But it feels so good writing with them.
Gosh, I hardly ever write anymore. And when I do, it seems like such a task and my handwriting keeps getting worse as time goes by. The joys of technology! It’s nice to know that you still have a journal, in which you write by hand. 🙂
Thanks J! A journal is really good, if we go through difficult times we can go back and see how many more good times there are than bad… It helps to keep me grateful!
Reblogged this on Weakly Thoughts and commented:
Does anybody remember using a real fountain pen?
I have a Mount Blank, one of he slim-line style, but hardly ever use it. I haven’t found the need, or opportunity to do much handwriting in quite a while, so my penmanship has gone the way of the do-do bird. The pen is a cartridge refill type, yeah i can find refills in Staples., that bought back in the 80s. It surfaces from time to time tempting me to write more. A keyboard is easier, but less satisfying.
You have such a lovely pen, don’t break it’s heart… 🙂
Ek het al my skooljare met ‘n vulpen geskryf, al het almal balpuntpenne gebruik. Begeer nog my lewe lank ‘n Mont Blanc vulpen 🙂
Bucket List item… Hoop jy kry eendag ene…
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I can’t recall the last time I wrote for longer than a five minute period.
🙂 Even I have a hard time writing for more than 5 minutes, my wrist starts hurting, much more used to a keyboard. But my journal I write by hand…
lovely
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I agree with this so very much. I love snail mail, and writing with a good pen is one of life’s little pleasures.
Thanks Jaclyn!