The Pen Is Mightier…

I bought myself a treat the other day: a handcrafted pen by Gunnar Langemark of Langemark Pens (site in Danish).

I was struck by the beauty of the colors of this pen.

The black wood is “bog oak” – oak that has been buried in a bog for hundreds of years, even thousands. This particular bog oak comes from the area around Roskilde, Denmark. One of Gunnar Langemark’s friends discovered it when he was out riding in the forest.

The lighter colored wood (my photograph doesn’t do it justice) is called “Purple Heart”, which is a popular name for a tree that is native to Central and South America. It has a nondescript story, but it is beautiful to hold and behold.

Gunnar has videos on his site so you can see how he makes the pens. I hope you can sense the care he puts into bringing these bits of wood to life again.

Most of my writing is on computers these days, but owning a gorgeous pen seems a must. It is like having a magic wand – as though I can write powerfully and beautifully when I set this pen to paper. Maybe it can be my muse and inspire my writing. I will definitely use it for any important notes, and I may even doodle with it!

Today has been an odd day in history. It started out with news of twins being born to the Danish crown prince and princess. It ends with the sad news of a tragic shooting in Arizona. I planned to write a blog post today, but the news of the shooting affected my mood. Discussions of “violent rhetoric” had floated by on today’s twitter stream, and when I saw my pen on the desk, the phrase “the pen is mightier than the sword” came to mind. I thought about the way we communicate these days: we need criticism, but it should be given in a constructive and open manner.

This year, I want to be more conscious about penning my thoughts and ideas in a way that can build and encourage constructive discussions. If I get involved in discussions that have a negative slant, I hope I have the strength to refrain from participating in the negative talk and the courage to bring up more positive angles. This pen will be a symbol of this wish.