I have a pen problem.

Not a problem like, "I have an alcohol problem", because, I think that would mean I'm addicted to pens and I love pens and I can't stay away from the pens.
That's not the problem.

They don't like me. They run away. Or disappear. Or break. Or run out of ink. Whatever. But I've always had this problem. I can't find the right one to have and keep forever. They don't stick around. It's sad because I LOVE A GOOD PEN.

Who doesn't, right?

You know what's weird? I don't know your handwriting. I mean, if you are not the people i grew up with or live with now, I've probably never seen what your written word looks like. Isn't that weird??? Growing up in the 80's, we still got letters in the mail and wrote notes to each other in school. I knew my friends' handwriting very well. I'd be envious of someone's and try to copy it. I'd forge signatures sometimes just to see if I could do it. Handwriting is so telling about a person's personalities. I think it's sad that nobody really needs to WRITE words with their hands anymore using pen and paper. There used to be something so personal and real about getting a note in school from somebody. I LOVED getting notes. And did everyone do the 'lil' sis' / 'big sis' thing growing up? Like, if you were a new 6th grader and a 7th grader liked you, you'd be their 'lil' sis, and she'd sorta look out for you and stuff? And you'd write notes back and forth? Was that just our school? Am I remembering it right? I think I am. I have a feeling if I shared this little tidbit with my teen, she'd be all, "ummmmm ...LAME".

I liked things better then.

Before cell phones. Nobody had a cell phone and if you did, it was called a car phone and it stayed in your car. The internets weren't real then (are they real now?) and you had to read encyclopedias to do homework. I can still smell them. Old book smell. Mmmmm.
TV shows had scripts. We had Contempo Casuals. MTV played videos. We used film cameras and waited a whole day to get our film developed. (singles or double prints? matte or glossy?) Only the rich kids at private schools had to wear uniforms. We had to take a typing class. We were allowed to use our lockers. (They don't now in fear that students are hiding drugs and/or weapons) We had to learn spelling and grammar. The library had the dewey decimal system and card catalogs. There was no MySpace or Facebook or Twitter. We spoke to our friends face to face.


And we wrote notes. And I knew your handwriting.