A Tale of Two Pens
Two pens went missing years ago. I didn't know they were gone. This is the story of how they found their way back — and what they were carrying when they did.
I had forgotten my Kindle scribe, my new BFF for drawing at the office, at home every where really. I had my old stand by a cahiers journal and a pen, a pen... Wait where was my pen? Drawing is how I process my thoughts how I come up with crazy ideas and characters. How could I NOT have a pen in my bag. I rushed out of my office into the printer area at work looking desperately for a pen, I remember they used to have Pilot pens back when I had my own office on the 5th floor, but this was the 6th floor. Where were the pens? I found a box of cheap pens, fine I thought I can work with that, they were all dried up. BAH!
I went downstairs.
I checked in where the IT department is, no one. Then I heard a voice "Hey Rob." It was authentically friendly and welcome. I paused where I stood, I turned around and walked toward the office where I heard his voice.
"Hey! You wouldn't happen to know where they keep the pens around here would you?"
"No" he paused as he reached into a jar and pulled out two pens "but here you can have one of mine!" one was metal and I thought it was some cheap pen. I took it and looked at it, wait a minute I thought. I knew this pen. It had faded lettering on it. I took the cap off and looked at the pen.
Absent minded I said "I used to have a pen just like this, it's an OHTO a ceramic ball filler from Japan." I just kind of stared at it wondering if it was the same pen.
"You can have it." Jay said to me.
"I'll bring it back after I am done." I walked off with the pen in hand taking the cap off and putting it on the back. I could feel the sand grit in the back rubbing against the cap as I pushed it in. This was my pen. At that moment that was when I heard Jay.
"No, just keep it, I'm sure!" I rushed upstairs and put the pen to my sketchbook, this was it! THIS WAS MY PEN! I remembered the sand grit that had gotten trapped in the cap.
It was in 2008 maybe 2009, I can't quite recall the exact date, but I had just arrived at a dentist office. This was the first time I was going to meet my new client. It was late winter the snow was iced over and crusty from gravel and sand in the parking lot. I had my note book in hand and was getting my pen ready as I walked from the car toward the building. The pen fell, I watched in shock. How could I drop my favorite pen? It hit the ground with a quiet 'TINK'. I picked it up the pen seemed fine. Some sand had gotten caught in the back of the pen where you post the cap I brushed it off and went inside.
The receptionist greeted me and told me to have a seat. The doctor would be with me soon. I looked around, this dentist clearly had an incredible design aesthetic. Modern furniture adorned the entry way, and I am pretty sure that was a Noguchi coffee table with magazines on it in the center. I took a seat, the chairs were plush, yet firm. I remember thinking to myself I wouldn't mind having one of these chairs at home. As I got comfortable, I took the OHTO out of my pocket and posted the cap on the back, KKRRUUNNNCH.
Then I remembered why Jay had my pen, over 2 years ago, I had an office in the floor below, I wasn't there enough and they repurposed the office. I never got my stuff back.
It was here I realized that in my search for pens that the Rotring pen I saw in the office next to me was also mine! I put the Ohto down and ran over to the empty office. There was one way to tell if this was my pen or the sales guys. I clicked it and made a mark. Extra Fine line Gel??? Wait this is mine too!!! I had replaced the ink years ago with a Zebra gel fill because I hated ball point. I had added the Rotring to my Amazon wishlist and my mother surprised me by getting it for me for Christmas one year. As much as I loved the engineering and precise design of it I never used it. Now, that my mother has gotten on in years she doesn't have the energy to go shopping anymore. You see for some reason, I assume it's because of age, my mother never actually buys things from Amazon. She calls local stores, or goes to flea markets and yard sales to find "equivalent" things. So hear me when I say it was a bit of a miracle I got the exact pen I added to my wishlist. At the time I didn't think much of it, as I was in my fountain pen phase, yeah... it was a whole thing where I learned to repair fountain pens. So a mechanical pen — can I even call it that? — wasn't high on my appreciation list.
With the Rotring in hand I went back to my office.
I doodled with the two pens.
Two pens, I didn't know were gone, and yet I missed them greatly.
The OHTO had been with me since 2006 (now 2026). I remember the first thing I did with it when I got it mailed to me from Japan. I drew a zombie. (Walking Dead was really popular at the time) This pen which I didn't know was missing had now come back to me. This was MY pen and I could feel it. Not in that uncanny way but in that familiar my hand never forgot the shape of it way. It was once my favorite pens, I used it all the time.
The Rotring was one of the last presents I got from my mother and had made it into heavy rotation once I replaced the ink.
These two pens made me realize something important, as I looked around my office, items I thought were dysregulated purchases, weren't. They hit a maximum capacity threshold at my house. Here they made a cohesive environment.
They belonged, they told a quiet story.
Not clutter.
Continuity.