Sometimes old habits of frustration just bite you in the ass. One of my recurring sources of exasperation, completely self-inflicted, is the careless way I handle things –objects. My pockets usually contain crumbled up wads of cash that tend to fall on the ground when I’m fishing out keys or phones. Important notes, lists, and other stuff vanishes I’m certain because I pay no attention to those sorts of details.
It drives me nuts.
Yesterday I purchased a lovely Sheaffer VFM fountain pen — the Sheaffer VFM, Strobe Silver, Nickel Plate Trim, Fountain Pen: Medium Nib (E0940053)
Today I was in a hurry and pushed the pen in my jacket pocket, one of those hand warming style pockets that aren’t deep but rather easy to access and not good for carrying things. Not surprising really, the pen fell out somewhere, another casualty of my habits of frustration. I’ll buy another because I’m marginally obsessed with fountain pens and love one that makes fine lines and is smooth on the page, but shouldn’t I be old enough to show a bit more respect for things?
Thankfully this kind of behavior never reared its head with photography gear or in riding. But beyond that, it’s a mess.
If anyone finds a silver Shaeffer VFM fountain pen — it’s probably mine….
Don’t be too hard on yourself Steve. Most people find change difficult. I have always realized pain gives us a choice (no pain no gain) and have looked at it as a positive because what else is there…why remain negative is my way of thinking…why remain in a rut when you have a choice? I haven’t always been this way though…it was only after I discovered some soul crushing news about my partner of the time that I started making changes… right then and there. I read a lot of books about why people do bad thinks to other people stuff like that, as I couldn’t believe where my life had taken me…I was responsible for those choices so I didn’t want to keep making poor ones.
Cheers!
Brent
Steve. This is why God gave us ten cent ball points. If you need to carry an expensive cartridge pen put it in your glove compartment but keep a cheap Bic in your pockets to lose. Not Rocket Science Big Guy.
No, no, it’s not you. I’m sure there’s a little gremlin that runs around stealing things. I’ve discussed this with Lynne, and I’m certain it’s true. I’m currently searching for two lost items and have been for over a week. It’s that damn evil gremlin!
As one older friend of mine has observed: the older we become in terms of years, the more “stuff” we accumulate and then have to transport/carry with us.
He bought a murse, a man’s purse. In that over the should device (somewhat smaller than a messenger bag) are his two different sets of keys, a small tri-band ham radio, his mobile telephone, his wallet, pens, various forms of I.D. , various required prescribed drugs to keep him going if needed, contact slips and the like. He also has another small compartment where he keeps lesser duplicates of his credit and bank debit cards.
I could never carry a murse! Mind did carry a messenger bag when I rode the motorcycle which was always with me. It served a similar purpose including a small film camera, and a dual band ham radio, as well as other bits and pices. Found
after a period the strap of the bag would slide on my shoulder on the heavy leather o f the jacket. The jacket pockets were like yours, too shallow other than to carry the smallest of items. The leather pants had no pockets. And i much preferred the sleekness
(if i may say that) of wearing leather motorcycle gear. The bag over the head tended to mess u the flow; however I knew where things were, more or less.
Mind you could do as some of the Scandinavian countries, go to a more or less cashless society, using only a debit card or credit card for required funds. We here in Canada in many places are approaching that point. Then too as regard to losing actual physical money, go to a multi-coloured plastic bill, ours are blue for $5.00, purple for $10.00, green for $20, 00, pink for $50.00 and brown for $100.00. Our denominations don’t go any higher as most transactions of more than $100.00 are often electronic as in the aforementioned debit card/credit card. And loose currency: one and two dollar coins, no pennies, then just nickels, dimes, quarters. That’s it.
One suggestion for you and work. Carried when I left work, my building key, and my office key. Once in the office took my outside/personal keys, hung them on a hook in a cupboard and then grabbed my work keys. Mind my work keys, depending upon which schoool I was to be in that day also had a subset of keys, I was responsible for 35 elementary and six secondary schools as well as a graphics workshop, darkroom and one or two other buildings. This way
any loss was reduced. And I had a taff of 18 who were also encouraged to follow the same regime of keys. So if one of them was ill, one of my assistants could come into the absent person’s area and know exactly where the keys and related were.
At my end employment times when I was in an out of hospital, such an arrangement made wonderful sense; as it meant somebody else could run the department (more or less) having the keys and the daily routine all in one place.
My suggestion is then a murse or failing that, put your important bits in the same place, always. Carry little or no coinage, one or two bills or just a debit card or credit card, both in seperate places I might add. As to the lost writing instrumen;, as noted elsewhere, ten cent ball point pens (BIC comes to mind) are OK, IF you retract the nib so it doesn’t dig a hole in your pants pocket. Or worse if a fountain pe, the internal bladder doesn’t leak all overthe place…dammit!
Modern society demands we have these things and yet between me and thee, would do just as well with one key, on a piece of wire around one’s neck,
and that would be all. Then there are those bloody clip-on ID badges you no doubt have to wear at work. Where do you put them after working, or in such a placed that they don’t get hung up somewhere on your person eh?
For a “murse”, would hard to do better than the Aerostich Letter Bag (I have the larger Aerostich Courier Bag). Besides being nearly indestructible (and repairable if something does happen), with the optional strap the bag does not move around while riding – I often forget I am wearing mine and bang into stuff with it. And no one will ever mistake it for a woman’s purse.
N.b. Contrary to popular belief I own no part of Aerostich – just spend a lot of money there.
Try a fanny pack. I like your posts, except for the language; like ASS, etc.Surely you are above that. – Cast Away
You certainly kick-started Bryce into action Steve. In Queensland everyone would call him Bruce. It happens like that! Anyway I loved your commentary “Bruce” and we’ll blame Steve for triggering you off. I’ve a good mind to frame it and hang it on the wall of my office.
Hell’s bells what is a fountain pen anyway?
I must have late onset Alzheimer’s.
And what the heck caused that blue-black stain in my pocket?
Au contraire Mike. For I too live in a country still part of the motherland UK.
In Canada. My given name was my mother’s maiden name actually, and I have seen it spelled Brice (considered the “English” spelling )as well as “Bryce” which is the Scottish spelling.
My mother’s family originated on the Scotland/England bordesr up north. So it is entirely possible some would mix the name. Too many people like yourself call me Bruce Lee and then think NOTt having met me that I am Oriental, which i most definitely am not!
Or the other variant, Brice Leigh, again a variant of the spelling. My mother’s family emigrated from Scotland in 1849; my father’s family can be traced back to the
Battles of the Plains of Abraham near Quebec.
Hi again Bryce,
Nice to chat with someone from Her Britannic Majesty’s realm.
No, it didn’t cross my mind that you might be oriental, nor would I be concerned. It’s just the contorted minds of us Aussies that tend to change the names of people to something that our feeble minds can remember. My best friend “Dave” is called “Joe” if that makes any sense at all.
Thank you for explaining your heritage…no slight intended on my part.
If you are a Vespa rider that makes you a brother.
“A Pen”. I bet you carry around paper too…
I always seem to have scraps of paper in my pockets and those lists always seem to get lost. I’m afraid that I gave in and went to the dark side. Lists are now on the iPhone and others physical lists are now photos sent as text messages.
At least it was just a pen. Do you have fond memories of parents saying: ” we just can’t have nice things.”
As a self proclaimed clutz, I understand.
In this we are truly Twins.
No, my parents weren’t attached to things so I didn’t hear that. I remember shooting one of those plastic rockets that you would put water in and pump up with air through our dining room window while my parents were eating. My dad looked out and said, “You better be more careful boy.”. Same reaction when I accidentally shot a stone through the rear window of the station wagon…
Oooh, shiny! I’ll bet a Mynah Bird swooped down and snatched it up from wherever you dropped it.
Do you secretly work for Amazon? I’ve added that to my Wish List.
No, just working for Penn State. But I did buy a second pen!
May this second pen, NOT be a write-off!
Perhaps consider this second pen to be a
gift -to -yourself-pen
for Christmas?
Oh no, not a present. The pen is a staple — like bread and milk. And at our office Christmas party we had a Yankee Gift Exchange and I got a sweet Cross pen! I’m in pen heaven at the moment.
Fountain pen? Uh-oh…
I have this lovely, soft case that holds two pair of eyeglasses, and has a center pouch with “sub-pouches” for two pens, plus a center pouch for stuff like a lens-cleaning cloth. Besides my regular specs and reading/computing glasses (that’s right…no mentioning the “B” word here), I carry my two all-time fave fountain pens, a Pilot Custom 823 and Pilot Vanishing Point. No, I don’t think you really want to know how much they cost, but they’re not the only FPs I’ve owned, only the latest. Somehow, the only “nice” pens I’ve ever lost were a few ballpoints (also pricey, alas). I gave up on pricey ballpoints for that very reason, aside from the fact that there are tons of non-pricey BPs that write just as well, and feel almost as good in the hand. FPs, are in a whole ‘nother league.
But let me tell you about mechanical watches…
The Pilots are great pens but I’ve not put down $300 for one of those. Yet.
Thankfully, I’ve not bit bitten by the mechanical watch bug. Years ago, for a time, I was fascinated by pocket watches, and then pocket knives. Wish I could have that money back…
Be thankful it was not a Montblanc, my friend 🙂 Enjoyed your post and your About/Bio page. Can’t wait to read more!
Losing a Montblanc would be bad. I don’t cry often when dogs aren’t involved but that may get me.
Glad you like the posts. I’ll keep at it…