My journey with pen

I had a fetish for pens– fountain pens . ``` During our childhood, the school emphasised the importance of beginning our writing journey with a fountain pen. They believed that using this instrument during our formative years would help us develop a clear and proper handwriting that would last a lifetime. However, despite practising cursive writing diligently, I seemed to be cursed when it came to achieving good handwriting. ``` But during the journey, I actually started liking fountain pens. Back in our childhood days, there were no fancy gadgets to fill the ink. You had to tilt the bottle and fill up the bottom half. And, inevitably, by the time you were done, your hands would be covered in blue or black ink from Camlin. We were prohibited from using ballpoint pens because it was believed they would negatively affect our handwriting. However, I have discovered that this belief was actually a myth. Ballpoint pens are neat, offer much better handwriting, and can be preserved. On the other hand, fountain pens have become more of an accessory used to show off, but they produce the worst handwriting. Of course, the quality of the handwriting also depends on the person using the pen. During childhood, ink pens had another use. If you had a fight or didn't like a teacher, you could sneak up on them and just one swipe of the fountain pen was enough for revenge. The best part was that there was no evidence of the crime, allowing you to leave the scene without being caught. Nowadays your proficiency depends upon your proficiency on qwerty keyboard - digital signatures– etc– a stylet and a ruffpad,even the writers type their stories on the computer– it is easy to make amends – but as a doctor – i still have to scribble prescriptions- and ball point pen is my favourite– the ink is permanent- does not smudge – remains legible for a long time– the pen flows–a fountain pen is a nuisance– the writing slows down- the quality goes down- it smudges –it is hard to decipher when the patient comes to you on next visit. But holy grail of the writing world – absurdly priced - expensively advertised - an aura has been built around the uniqueness of the fountain pen and the ink–around fountain pen– a mont Blanc , a parker or a waterman, a lamy – in fact i see it as a mark of narcissism Nowadays, proficiency on the QWERTY keyboard, digital signatures, and other technologies such as stylets and ruffpads are crucial. Even writers now type their stories on computers, finding it easier to make corrections. However, as a doctor, I still find myself scribbling prescriptions. My preferred writing tool is a ballpoint pen, as the ink is permanent, doesn't smudge, and remains legible for a long time. The pen flows smoothly, unlike fountain pens that tend to slow down the writing process and decrease quality. Fountain pens also have a tendency to smudge, making it difficult to decipher when the patient comes for their next visit. Despite these drawbacks, fountain pens such as Mont Blanc, Parker, Waterman, and Lamy are seen as the holy grail of the writing world, with exorbitant prices and extensive advertising campaigns building an aura around their uniqueness. Personally, I view displaying the signature cap of these pens peeking out of one's coat pocket as a display of narcissism. when you exhibit the signature cap of the pen peeping out of your coat pocket. Ink - we were supposed to use blue-black ink, which I find to be the most horrible colour. Personally, I prefer black ink, but it carries with it a certain ominous connotation.And my favourite was Camlin– now I have switched to Parker. However, the pen, regardless of its form, will always remain an integral part of civilization. Despite the rise of keyboards and audio-to-text applications, from ballpoint pens to styluses, I still enjoy the tactile experience of holding a fountain pen in my hand. It makes me feel good, and I will continue to do so indefinitely.