Pens and Books

The variety of friends we have astounds us sometimes.

Two days ago, I asked my mother’s maid to wash a bag (knapsack) I had not used in 13 years.  I checked the bag and found plastic sando bags (for wet umbrella or clothes), a bar of Safeguard in a soap box, and a Parker pen.

The Parker triggered me to look for the Cross pen given to me by my sister in the mid-1990s, to no avail.  That Cross model now costs between ₱6,000 and ₱8,000 ≈ $120 and $160.

A dear friend called me today to ask about a number of things, and we got around to talking about my lost and found lavender Parker.  I got that Parker because it just looks so gay, as in homosexual gay.

My friend knew about the Cross pen and told me about his Parker collection when he was in high school.  I told him I’m having second thoughts about buying a new Cross and a Montblanc pen since I still have working old (10+ years) Parker pens.  A Montblanc costs at least four books from Amazon.  Books I order from Amazon usually cost ₱5,000 ≈ $100 each (total cost of each book includes three fees: book price, shipping/handling, and import fees deposit).

My dear friend told me I should just buy the Montblanc instead of new books.  He said a valuable pen looks good on my hands, while books are simply fire hazards.

My friend’s comments really surprised me – and made me laugh hard.  He sees expensive pens as fashionable, while I imagine them tucked away in my shelves and boxes.  While my friend loves movies, he apparently does not value books.

Different strokes for different folks.