Day Seven: Pens

I like pens and I cannot lie. My current favorite pen is the Pentel RSVP Finepoint in black ink. Is that more information than you wanted?

I’ve been journaling for years. Pens and notebooks are my weakness. I have a stash at any given time. Also, I am open to any journal and pen gifts. In case you were wondering. And I have been collecting reading glasses because apparently I’m old.

Let me reassure you that a good pen makes all the difference. But I am realizing how much paper texture plays a role. Not all pens write the same on all paper. Is this a weird topic? I am certain I am not alone. It’s sort of a big deal for writers.

I write long-hand and in cursive. My journal. My sermons. My blog. My other writing projects. I think more clearly when it is pen touching paper. Perhaps it forces my mind to slow to the pace of my writing. It keeps me focused and there is less mind wandering.

Mind wandering is not a curse, though. I suspect we have labeled too many people with brain disorders because, all of a sudden, in the 21st century, we have decided it is a deficiency. It’s not. Mind wandering is the way almost everything has been invented. Ever.

We need more mind wandering and pondering, not less. We think we are easily distracted, but our mental health requires it. The real problem is that we do not give ourselves the luxury of doing nothing.

Instead, we keep our mind occupied with Netflix and social media. Then, when we need to focus, we can’t because our mind needs exercise. It needs to wander down trails of possibilities.

The best way to solve our focus problem is to turn off the other distractions. Take a walk. Read a book. Journal. Meet a friend for coffee and spend five minutes in silence together. Stop on the street and look around. Stand on the porch and look up for two minutes. Listen for birds and ask yourself how many different sounds you notice.

Lent is 40 days of wandering. It is not about the destination. It is about the journey. Easter will be upon us no matter how we journey through this season, but we get to choose. I hope you choose mind wandering. It will improve your mental health and spiritual health as well.