The sadness of finishing a notebook
The notebook becomes a mirror of self, an extension, an inalienable part of the body - my body of work, my body, my EDC, my thoughts; I do not want to finish it. There is a particular sadness to swapping in a new insert, as if separating from a part of myself which will be filed and available, but will no longer travel with me whenever I go.
Pen frustration, pen magic
Our fountain pens and other stationery items are not just tools. They are artifacts, talismans against an overwhelming and cruel world. Pens can represent self-care and purpose, pens can bring delight and wonder. Pens are magic. That magic can come as a freebie gift, or in shape of a cheap, incredible, damaged antique-store pen.