The Pelikans Have Arrived!!

Posted by Verlin

M800’s these are called. Pelikan fountain pens are German manufactured pens and arrive with two-tone18k gold nibs. These are some of the most desired fountain pens on the market. For each pen, I ordered custom ground, nibs, broad, italic cursive writing points for a right-handed person. Both nibs tuned by John Mottishaw, one of perhaps a half dozen highly respected “nibmeisters” in the country.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rFKAssYpwug&feature=mfu_in_order&list=UL

Why order two fountain pens? In journal writing, I will often switch back and forth between two pens, usually differing qualities of writing, or different colors. Thus I have differing inks and differing nibs on each pen. The clear, “Demonstrator”, so-called because it demonstrates the internal workings of the brass mechanism internal to this quality of and. As you can see, each part is labeled with laser marking. Demonstrators are manufactured in limited editions, thus are becoming increasingly rare.

But, the setup for makes them ideal for both journal and professional, clinical notes. Not only can I seem to be able to write endlessly, but I do so legibly.

Speaking of legibility, when the first pelican arrived, I found myself spending hours of third-grade cursive writing which I referred to as Pelikan Practice. Journals, it seems, are not only for good ideas, but good ideas that are presented legibly, and as works of art.

The more simply discovering two great fountain pens, I discovered The Fountain Pen Network, an organization of individuals who enjoy fountain pens. While some of them enjoy the process of writing with fountain pens and inks, others, enjoy creating journals with fountain pens. Still others, collect fountain pens, some are enamored with the brands, colors, or technical aspects of fountain pens, inks, and paper. Much of that is my current scope knowledge or interest, but what we all have in common is that we enjoy writing.

From the nearly 40,000 members worldwide, in The Fountain Pen Network I found individuals who not only write with fountain pens, write personal journals, write creatively, and, maintain blogs concerning their interests. David, the workshop assistant on the West Coast who "interviewed" me in gathering information regarding my writing style so John could more accurately assess how to grind this personalized nib, I discover, is also a playwright, and part-time actor in films. Another "David" lives close by and writes extraordinary reviews of inks under the pen name of “carpedavid.”
Blogspot blog : "Seize The Dave"

My interest in the Pelikan is not only brought me to the world's most finely crafted pens, but it's also put me in touch with an entirely new group of friends and associates that have enriched and broadened my view point and my experience.

Having written clinical notes for four decades, and personal journals for three, having used ball point pens, roller balls, markers, microns, and pencils, with the new Pelikan pen, hours of writing drift by as easily Sailor Jentle Blue ink flows from the golden nib onto the Moleskin paper.

From my journal pages, --...with fountain pens, finally, after getting the right combination, -- the pen, the nib, the ink, and the paper, - not only does the writing flow effortlessly, but thoughts flow without hesitation, resistance, or interference from the mind to the paper, the hand more faithfully reproduces what the mind thinks or the heart feels.

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After He Leaves….

Posted by Verlin

“Without the verbal ballast of hearing a hundred words each weekend,

Words of assumptions, opinions, criticisms and judgements,

My self esteem grew to new heights,

My self confidence developed in new directions,

My desires re-emerged from the aridity of this relationship,

And my creativity blossomed like roses,

from a bare, pruned bush,

unfold with greater vibrancy, color, and fragrance.” -- name withheld.

How is it that women, more than men, make this adjustment to separations with such grace? When I listen to them, I hear……

“Each week, I take a walk with my best friend.”

“ Once a month, I get together with a few of my closest friends, we go out to dinner, we have a glass of wine, we talk, we laugh, sometimes we cry, we rag on our men,… but mostly, we laugh a lot. That is what helps me the most. And that is my attitude readjustment for the month.”

“Each year, the four of us take a long weekend together – a kind of vacation from our lives, our men and our kids. That I can still look forward to that time together helps me the most.”

Women’s acceptance, understanding, and compassion toward each other during these transitions provides a healing component that men, money, and therapy cannot. Grieving this loss fully, and not merely replacing, ( as men have historically been prone to do) allows for the new life to “blossom” in ways not previously possible.

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Admitting error

Posted by Verlin

Recently, I had to admit to making an error in posting something to my blog that had not been sufficiently screened to ensure confidentiality. When someone pointed it out to me, I immediately admitted the error and removed that particular post from my blog. While no harm was done to any of the individuals involved, it did represent an oversight, an error on my part.

Admitting error seems to be a difficult process for some individuals. (and not just politicians or sports heroes.) I've found it difficult to maintain stable friendships with people who have great difficulty admitting error on their part, even for minor things.

Thirty years ago, as the new director of an agency, I walked into the office of the youngest supervisor to confront her on the data she had reported on a form I had just created.

“Where did you get this data?” I asked, “I cannot seem to match it up with the other units.”

“I lied.” She replied matter of factly, looking up from her desk.

“What? Why would you do that?” I said, stunned at the directness of her response.

“I didn’t understand your form, and I was afraid if I said that, you would be upset with me or think I was stupid. So I just lied.”

The, experience was a most disarming one. What you do when someone admits, “I lied.” It helped that she admitted she was afraid. Her honesty and vulnerability at that point made her human and understandable.

This five minute interaction taught me the benefit of readily admitting error and getting on with the business modifying the relationship so that future interactions will be a better place. In the process, a trust was established. That was the beginning an honest working relationship.

When we find that we are more concerned with our image and in being right, when we would rather be right than in a relationship, when we find it easier to be less that truthful, evasive, or to simply deny and project the blame, then we are in trouble, not only with others, but more troubling, with ourselves. We are living in a constant state of fear.

Want a new experience in relating to others? Admit error. Admit it openly, readily, and honestly. It can be a refreshing experience.

A new beginning in your relationships with others, and with yourself.

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The Pen Junkie and the Holy Grail of Pens

Posted by Verlin

Through years of journal writing, one accumulates and an extensive array of pens. Every writing desk has a canister of pens; not a cup, but a canister. For a period of time, I will write with one kind and then shift to the next one. In the process of three morning pages, I will use at least two kinds of pens of different color; more if I am decorating the edges with a “Zander” tangle design.

Ball points, felt tips, roller balls, pencils, markers, drafting pens, highlighters, scissors, and fountain pens all vie for space in the crowded canisters.

From Cardin and Cross, to Micron and Pilot, from Sharpies to Staples to Staedtler, Tul to Uniball, on Zebra and Zig. From .01 Microns to 5.0 Calligraphy markers. From $2.00 to $40.00; the list continues. Pens, pencils and markers manufactured from Japan to Germany. But, most importantly, a full array of shades and intensity of color.

Lately, I have begun to enjoy the Cross Fountain pen, a generic medium fountain pen, but have always wanted a pen with a broader point, perhaps even an italic or calligraphic point. But a truly top quality pen. The calligraphy starter set I tried tended to dry quickly. Totally unsatisfying. After writing thousands of journal pages, my Sagittarian mind seeks the next best creative tool. In addition to having a sense of tradition, fountain pens lend themselves well for slower, deliberate, contemplative, meditative writing practices.

Researching the ‘best of the best’ of fountain pens, has led me on a quest for the holy grail of pens, a Pelikan M800. Quests become Obsessions. Not knowing anyone personally who owns a Pelikan M800, my obsession requires me to research online,.. daily. Also, I have begun gathering my hoarded gift monies and my credit card points toward the object of the quest.

Yes, I have been told great novels and treatises have been written with goose quills, or pencils. Undeterred, I’ve continued my quest.

Does that mean I will neglect all the pens sitting in my pencil wells? Do artists neglect their old brushes? Not for a moment. They provide the varying colors, textures and speed I need for writing in different situations. Even my pens must provide useful work if they are to keep their place in the canisters.

When a decade ago I invested in a burgundy, aniline leather chair, I thought it to be the most extravagant purchase I had made. But, it has immensely improved the quality of my daily life. I've never had any regrets about its purchase. So is my assumption about purchasing a top quality pen even though others may think me mad to spend $300+ on a fountain pen. And like the chair, I expect that in a decade from now, I will have no regrets about this purchase.

When the pen of my dreams arrives, I will post a photo and a review.

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Where Have You Been???

Posted by Verlin

Where have you been?” some emails ask. "It has been a month since your last post.”

After three training trips, my travels are done for the summer. A return to normalcy and a rhythm prevails.

Training and Traveling. When I am in that mode, writing gets shoved to the side, overpowered by not only the demands of training workshops, but for the novelty of contrasting sounds, sights, smells, and experiences. The writing gets neglected like some pet that sits and awaits your arrival at home.

Travels provide contrasts that awaken the senses. The busy cacophony of traffic, cars, buses, trains – all of it in downtown Chicago, on a Friday at 5:30 pm is a jarring contrast to the tranquility of Frank Lloyd Wright’s Oak Park, or the nature trails of Oregon Ridge Park in Baltimore on a Saturday at 5:30.

I have experienced a skilled captain pilot an aircraft through stormy weather, and an unskilled copilot struggling with numerous power changes and turns to keep his speed and altitude at the required values enroute to O’Hare.

The sociability and laughter of Southwest passengers, even in a stormy flight seemed sweet in comparison to United’s staid crew and passengers, most of whom cast no glances at others sitting beside them, preferring to delve into books and electronics.

From the rear of the last shuttle bus ride came a raucous request from four men wanting to be dropped off at Lufthansa airline. Following their flight to Munich, three of them would head on to Amsterdam. This jovial quartet laughed and joked in three languages the entire way to the airport; one speaking in Deutsch, one in English, and two in Dutch. Yet, each clearly understood the other.

How great if this were a microcosm of our entire world!

For Sunday: The Pen Junkie and the Holy Grail of Pens

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What is the Point of Keeping a Journal??

Posted by Verlin

What Is the Point of Journaling?

… you may ask. What is the point of spending time trying to write thoughts, ideas, and feelings on the page, particularly when it is hard to do so?

Rather than trying to convince you, let me present you with a listing of books that have been most helpful to me. The subtitles give some hint as to the value of keeping journals.

Life's Companion, Journaling as a Spiritual Quest by Christina Baldwin. First given to me by a client, this book has become one of my all time favorites. When Christina Baldwin began writing books on journaling, the Library of Congress needed to create a new category of listings. If you never write down one line, this book is still an excellent treatise on guidance for your spiritual quest. Having given away over a dozen of my copies of this book, I find it still to be the most inspiring book on journal writing.

In Walking in This World, The Practical Art of Creativity, Julia Cameron's finest book, she presents spirituality and creativity as inextricably interwoven. Having read nearly all of Julia Cameron's books on writing, I consider this to be the zenith of her writing and that of greatest depth. Thirteen chapters, with plenty of white space in the margin for scribbles or notes, this is an excellent book to for shared work with friends or groups.

Henriette Anne Klauser gives us a reason to write – not to record the past, but to record our hopes, wishes, and dreams in her Write It Down, Make It Happen. She presents the case for writing down the ‘What” of what we want, and letting the “How” appear later. This book, a quick read, gives an view of increasing the odd of manifesting what we want in our lives by the simple act of writing it down,... being sure to write down all the sensory details.

For anyone who has asks, what do you do with all those journals, Rosalie Deer Heart and Alison Strickland illustrate a method of reviewing journals and harvesting the "thought seeds" by extracting the important themes, events, and insights recorded in a journal. Not for the faint of heart, these two share their experiences as they commit to finding the worthwhile truths in their journal entries.

These are only four of the dozens of books on my selves that speak to the art of keeping a journal. Any of them, and any of the books listed in the appendix of these books can help you understand the value othes place on keeping a journal. But only by writing yourself through an event in your lifetime will you come to see the value it has for you.

Journals are not diaries of daily events, rather they are an expression of the self and the Self, a description of the internal life of the writer. Journal writing appears in the lives of most great leaders, especially spiritual leaders.

Writing is a way of connecting with the Inner Self and of leaving your mark on this earth as you pass through this lifetime.

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How Many Journals Do You Need?

Posted by Verlin

Lest you think I have only "A Journal," let me share with you the varieties of journals that I may be keeping at one time. Just as some people have several books that they are reading at one time, I am writing in several journal formats at any point in time for different purposes. Let me count the ways.

1. Morning Pages Journal: Always, there is one primary "morning pages" Journal into which I enter anything from 1 to 3 pages most mornings. At the moment, I’m using a 9 x 12 sketchbook. No lines. Just blank pages.

2. Conferences and meetings notebook journal book, I keep one journal book that I take to conferences for notetaking my thoughts and observations about the conference material as well as other thoughts that crossed my mind in the middle of a meeting. The current Conference Journal is a 7 x 10 spiral bound notebook which has the added benefit of having lined pages on the left side and a blank page on the right side. That allows for organized notetaking as well as diagrams, doodles, and Zentangle art.

3. Waiting Room Journal: Yes, an elegant moleskin, with high quality paper, a gift from a dear friend, serves this purpose. This 5 x 7 notebook travels with me to waiting rooms: a doctor, a dentist, (or THE Ohio State School of Dentistry where the wait usually extends to multi-page writings). Waiting rooms is the one place one can count on waiting and not being disturbed. One day, I managed to write three pages while sitting in the ophthalmologist exam room chair waiting for the doctor’s arrival.

4. Dream Journal: A decade ago, I began a separate journal for dreams. Writing the dream themes into my Morning Journal gets them lost among many pages of other notes. For a dream journal I use a 6 x 9 spiral, hard cover notebook with a notation on the front as to its purpose. It lives on my reading stand waiting for the early morning writings.

5. Retreat Journal: made of totally recycled paper is used only for the yearly solitary wilderness retreats. The 9 by 7 journal fits into a one gallon freezer bag, protecting it from the elements of camping, and allows it to ride safely in backpacks and bicycle pack trips during these retreat weeks.

6. Computer journal: By taking 10 minutes to open a file, speak my mind, then save it as a password-protected document, I can go about my day without trying to process an emotionally charged event that continues to occupy my attention. The computer journal files stored in encrypted formats frees me from worries that information that needs to be private is kept private.

7. Relationship (Shared) Journal: A shared journal? Yes, after having entered into a second marriage a little over a year ago, it seemed important to me to have some venue in which each of us could share some of our thoughts about the relationship. It’s the small journal I pull out on Sunday morning to write one page concerning thoughts, observations, and future plans, hopes, wishes or dreams for the relationship. This small journal is where we place mementos of shared events i.e. theater tickets, restaurant souvenirs, etc. and, a sharing of things for which we have great gratitude.

8. This Blog: From My Chair: This blog, evolved out of a weekly Sunday morning ritual of writing some of my observations concerning my life and career as experienced from living on the sidelines of other people's lives as a therapist.

Hmm, I must be keeping Eight different forms of journals in recording my life. It just seems second nature to me at this point after having begun to write one penciled page a week 3 decades ago.

How can you find that much to write about in ordinary life?

When you write about your life, it does not seem so ordinary. You come to see your life with a greater sense of depth and richness. Additionally, you begin to see patterns, and symbols that are not apparent without taking the time to take note of the moment in which we exist.

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From My Chair

The Pelikans Have Arrived!!

After He Leaves….

Admitting error

The Pen Junkie and the Holy Grail of Pens

Where Have You Been???

What is the Point of Keeping a Journal??

How Many Journals Do You Need?

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