The lost pens

Ugh. Losing pens stinks. But to paraphrase the saying, "If you haven't lost a pen...then you probably haven't been collecting long enough!" The challenge is that they are small items that are used, not just stored, and when you're out and about sometimes the worst can happen.

I've been fortunate to have lost only a few, but I still mourn their loss.  Later in life, in moments of weakness (and if the deal is right), I may try and restore them to my pen stable.

Parker 88 in matte navy
A late '80's, early '90's brass tube with a gold-plated, stainless steel nib. It looks like a souped up Vector, and while it wouldn't be something I would be attracted to if it were released now by a pen company, I thought it was pretty special when I was a student. I believe it may have been obtained at the Buy and Sell Shop in Madison, WI.

This pen was lost, I believe, when it was left behind in a university classroom in Houston in the late '90's. 

The next two pens were lost together in the early 2000's. They were in a pen case in my bag that didn't get zipped up all of the way. I was running late to a meeting and moving at a jogging pace and the bounce of my pace knocked the pens out. What I wouldn't give to have skipped that, now, meaningless meeting!

Montblanc 144 
A pivotal pen in my life. It was given to me by The Love of My Life as a Christmas present after we had dated only a few months. While I already knew that she was The One, this pen made this even more abundantly clear.

This pen is a little different than the Montblanc norm. It's a little smaller, it has slip on cap, and it uses a cartridge/converter, but it was a sweet little pen!

Waterman Preface in Blue
Another lacquer over brass tube, but with a nicer (than the Parker 88) nib made of 18k gold. This pen was purchased on June 21, 1999 at Le Stylo D'Or (62 Avenue des temes) in Paris on our honeymoon.


Finally, my grandmother gave me a fountain pen from her writing desk in the mid '80's. As a teenager, I was already fascinated by these writing instruments, but was, unfortunately, ignorant of how they worked. I brought the pen home, promptly filled it with the ink I had at hand, couldn't get it to work, thought it was broken, and threw it away. It ended up that I filled it with India ink and clogged it up myself. My grandmother lived until she was 99 years old (about thirty years after she gifted me this pen) and I wish that she would have waited a few more years before giving me this piece of history. I don't even know what it was--a Sheaffer Balance? A Parker Challenger? I wish I knew! 


I sometimes wonder where all of these pens ended up. Are they still be used and enjoyed? Although I wish I had never lost them (and can't believe I actually threw one away!), I certainly hope so!

Lessons from Yo Yo Ma

Yo Yo Ma. Brilliant, thoughtful, and profound. Such a joy to hear, be around, and perform with. Here are some lessons from an opportunity to play in the orchestra with him as the soloist:

1. If two people have sympathy for one another, they can play well together. 
2. Musicians are all a little crazy. He invited us to "all be crazy together!"
3. Music from Dvorak's time period had to be led from the bass. The bass creates the earth so others can swim on the surface or soar through the sky. This can't happen without the bass.
4. He told the orchestra, "Don't be afraid of covering me up!" This creates an important tension between the soloist and the orchestra.
5. Connection is more important than music. The music is just a tool. This connection exists both between performers, and between the performers and the audience. Everyone in the hall could sense his generosity of spirit.
6. He transcends technique. His body does what his mind hears, and that doesn't always look like what the method books model.
7. The work has to be done before the connection can happen, and he has done this work.

Lessons from Australia and Being Part of a Strong Team

I spent three weeks on tour in Australia with an excellent chamber orchestra. The group plays together with great intensity almost constantly, and I (along with a number of other musicians) were brought in to augment their numbers so they would be able to perform some larger scale works.

It was interesting to observe how highly functioning they were as an ensemble--both musically and interpersonally, and I came back with some thoughts I wanted to remember and apply:

1. Keep seeking excellence. Always be growing and pushing yourself.
2. Read. Readers are leaders.
3. When needed, get out of the way and forgive others when they don't.
4. Seek/accept constructive feedback.
5. Use sarcasm sparingly. People are often more sensitive than one may think. 
6. We're all trying. Recognize and acknowledge that, even when something doesn't meet your expectations.
7. Exercise. Imagine you were given a vehicle to drive when you turned 16. How well would you take care of that car if that were the only one you could ever have? Take care of yourself.
8. Work with purpose.
9. Try and be around people who feel the same (or close to it) as you.
10. Be a part of a strong team and work to develop it.
11. Keep growing. Aspire.