Somewhere or another, I once wrote that I bow down in reverence to my blue BIC pen. To many, that may have seemed like a trivialisation of values to suggest that a blue BIC pen should hold such importance in my life, but it does.
I would describe the physical characteristics of the pen, such as the grip, the easy flow from the nib, the simplicity, the tightly-fitting lid, the fidget potential (where it can be pulled-apart, and put back together again with a great deal of ease) and the beautiful blue colour, set against the pure white of the page. And whilst all of those things are of some importance to me, that is not nearly all of it.
Others might wonder why I get so much pleasure from a clear plastic barrel where I can see the ink slowly diminish and disappear from the thin, bendy storage chamber. They might wonder also why I hadn’t settled on something of more intricate or beautiful design, or a famous name, or an expensive cartridge pen. In fact, they might wonder if there was something wrong with me, settling on the cheapest, plastic pen, used by schoolchildren the world over. They might puzzle over my previously-stated problems with schooling, and wonder why I would want to be reminded of that time, with such a disposable object.
Then there are those who might point to my use of technology, and the fact that I have owned, and constantly used, a computer since 1986. They might point to the software I have learned to use, the multiple instances of Microsoft Windows I have lived through, the years before then, where MS-DOS was as good as it got — a far cry from the Windows 11 of today, which I started hating before it was released, but have come to love as the best version ever, so far. They might tell you of my immense joy in having lived through the digital revolution, or convergence of technology focusing on the simplicity (and great complexity) of the choice between a one or a zero, whether that be in computing, music, photography, video or even just reading. They might also point-out that I have often stated that touch-typing is one of the best things I have ever-learned.
So, what, then, is so great about a blue BIC pen?
For me, it is the key, or one of the keys, the master key, perhaps, to my unconscious mind. Everything I have written here has flowed from a blue BIC pen which, in turn, has flowed on to the page from the way in which my brain has composed the words I have wanted to share about this particular subject. It is true, in theory, I could have typed these same words directly on to a screen, but there is something about using a pen and paper that makes the words flow faster on to the page, and that is so magical to see your thoughts appear in front of you, almost before you have finished thinking them. And that is so particularly valuable when, as a writer seeking stress relief and wellbeing through writing, you might engage in some ‘freewriting’, where the unconscious mind often reveals itself, without the usual editing involved in carefully-crafted writing or conversation. There is access to the magic, the imagination, the creativity, the crafting, the wonder of writing. That thing that takes over life, itself.
The more I write, the more I experience all of those feelings, the more comfort I get from the grip of a pen, the more I envisage writing on an ongoing basis, if I can get away with doing so, until the day I stop breathing. That, along with all the other things mentioned, is why I have such reverence for a blue BIC pen.
And did I ever tell you of my love for a double-spiralled, A5 notebook?
Fraser
September 2023