The Promise of Pens

I grew up in a time when cursive writing was still taught in schools. I loved learning cursive, even the required squiggles and sharp points others thought were a waste of time I struggled to keep evenly spaced. The reward for learning and meeting the 'neatness' and 'form' requirements was the permission to use a fountain pen, blue ink only, cartridge provided by my teacher, in class; not only during English and penmanship but Social Studies and Science as well. I remember being the second student in class to achieve that pinnacle, so disappointed not to be the first. Still, I've been hooked ever since. Though my 'collection' only numbers 21 it includes an old Waterman which belonged to my father-in-law, a Waterford gifted to me by my best friend, and a Sheaffer formerly owned by my father. Pens represent potential and a promise of success one hopes to achieve even when recording only mediocre thoughts and less than eloquent lines ...