I have a confession to make. I have a colored pen fetish. I can't resist them. I can't walk by a display of pens at Staples or Office Depot without stopping to fondle the various packages of multicolored pens. I must have a dozen different sets of pens, all from different manufacturers: Pilot, Stabilo, Bic, Zebra, Foray, Flair, you name it, I have it. I just can't help myself.
So what's the problem? Well, I CAN'T MAKE MYSELF USE THE COLORED PENS! I keep meticulous notes on everything - school board, member issues, contract issues, quilting, travel and camping, cooking, family, cross stitch, Jeep maintenance - I'm an organizational freak about taking notes and keeping records of everything. But I only use black pens.
Why is that? Why can't I grab a pink pen and take some notes on a member issue? Why can't I do my grocery list in bright purple? Why isn't the fuschia pen all right for my calendar?Yesterday I bought a new pack of colors - they're called Zebra Sasaras. They're gel pens. They write soooo smoothly. I took them out of their package and put them on my desk, thinking I could use them today. But no. I needed to add an event to my calendar, and spent 2 minutes shuffling through my papers to find a black pen. Then I needed to take notes on a phone call from a unit member about textbooks - I picked up the red pen, started to write, and without even thinking about it, put it down and picked up the black pen. Aaaarrrrgggghhhh.
What is this - black pen OCD? And I'm not making light of OCD here. I can't use my colored pens, but I own hundreds of them.
I'll start with a simple resolution:
Today I'm going to add events to my calendar in green. Today I'm going to take notes on member phone calls in whatever color I pick up.
One day at a time. I'll report back.
10 comments:
I don't ever remember seeing an array of pens like in that top photo. But it's very appealing, I must admit.
I'm like you with new clothes. They sit forever before I'm willing to wear a new thing. I guess I'm saving them for 'important' occasions of which I really have very few to attend. In honor of your new resolution, I'm going to wear a new pair of socks tomorrow!
Here's a way to incorporate your pen obsession. Color code your notes! For example, on your calendar....meetings in blue, project deadlines in red, paydays in green, holidays in purple...or whatever theme works for you. The only problem with THAT (take it from someone who knows!) is that just like you spend time searching for a black pen now, heaven forbid you need to put a meeting on your calendar and can't find your BLUE pen!
Meanwhile, in my pen cup on my desk are green (three shades), turquoise, orange, red, purple, blue (two shades), and black pens. And that doesn't count my Lincoln Log pen (yes, there are miniature Lincoln Logs inside the pen), my Tinker Toys pen (same concept, different toy), or my 5 pens that light up when you write with them and have feathers and characters on the top (Pooh, Tigger, Eeyore, and Piglet...and a shamrock, which I guess isn't really a character!).
So...I guess you could say I too am "pen-obsessesed"!
Welcome friend, you are not alone. I have an intense pen obsession. Except I *have* to use them, each and every one, as soon as I get home. And then they get put back neatly in their packages, to await a task worthy of their use. Which never seems to happen. And I can't even use Kathy's idea since I work in a regulated industry and *EVERYTHING* gets done in black ink. I think the coloured dry erase markers might just have to find a way to join the calendar in the hall though...
I adore office supplies in general.
Go for broke, girl...toss out all black pens!
I love your photo of all the colored pens. what a great shot.
Go for broke girl - one color at a time
Good luck on your pen situation. I too, like pens and have quite a few. Most of them are boring black or blue ink tho.
Hmm seems this is not an isolated incident - happens to me too! Definately a stationary freak myself - coloured and graphite pencils are also my problem. Good luck with the integration of colour pen use in your daily life - lol!
Cheers Jane
Oh, no - there are others? You've not listed one that you MUST try. Someone knows my fetish and gave me a set of bold ones, but when I found the .5 fine point, I thought I was in heaven! They're called Mega Tank. The only bad thing is I can't find other colors. This set is gray, green, blue, purple, and red. Love 'em! AND the way I use color is this - at work, the ink color I use for the day matches the clothing color. Not many people notice, but when they do, they ask, "Do you always match your pen to your clothes?" Why, yes; doesn't everyone??
Ha ha ha! I love colored pens and office supplies in general. It's not an uncommon fetish, I see. But I still love my basic black fine point pens (only fine point). I have a slight flare up of rage when I start writing and discover the pen is *gasp* BLUE!!! Which is so odd because my favorite color is blue, but I prefer to write in black. Go figure.
When I first became a teacher I was so happy to find that I finally found a group of people that shared my obsession with pens. I have since found that all sorts of people are crazy about pens--colored ones, indeed. I've never seen an array like the one in the top photo, and I live in the IE too. I must visit that place!
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