Red, Christmas

I haven't blogged for almost five months now.

I don't know, maybe twitter and instagram just got more convenient. But I feel like it today, Christmas, 2012--and yes I'm just a little sentimental. I'm nearing thirty now you know, a little lonely but with a little to show for. 

But I am thankfully, thankful again for a great year.

So I'll try to keep that joy in a fountain pen post.

Sheaffer Ferrari 300 Rosso Corsa

I wasn't really expecting any gifts this Christmas. Besides the obligatory cheap knick-knacks people you know give (which was significantly less this year) I only have my family to expect them from. A friend told me that at our age we're more givers than receivers now. I guess it is a bit douchy to count expensive gifts as the ones that matter but what do you expect? I am a conditioned citizen of late capitalism. To have a semblance of a soul I am obliged to find a deeper significance for the holidays besides Jesus.

But I don't need to force it you know.

I'm sentimental.

So when I got this shiny red fountain pen from my younger sister--I couldn't help but fill it with meaning. Because it was totally unexpected. She thinks my fountain pen hobby is a waste of money in the first place ("Why can't you have just one?")  and I know she spent her Christmas bonus already--and the pen she got me ain't necessarily cheap, so what a great surprise when she handed me a present. What a coincidence that she got me a red pen. I've been wanting a red pen for weeks and I'm pretty sure I didn't tell her (a red Stipula or Visconti were on my list).

What's the deeper significance?
My sister cut me some slack and indulged me--and fate had a hand to let me have it.
...it doesn't sound too deep when I say it that way.

but, let me tell you something I realized when I read this PKD novel--we are like that. I mean, I don't know why I keep this bourgeois  hobby in the first place. I mean, I buy the damn thing and don't use it that much. But why do I keep doing it? I like the aesthetic pleasure, I like people seeing me carrying one around--so I guess it's more for pretension when I really think about it.

For deep or shallow reasons we do what we do.

We do it.

And for that we as a species we are capable of the greatest harm and good.

PS

I got this beautiful pen as yet another gift to myself (I already got a couple since September *facepalm) and it is exquisite. Just had to post a picture of it. The age of it makes it very handsome, love the green barrel  and the monotone nib. *Sigh Merry Christmas!

1950s Pelikan 140 with a semi-flex nib